AND  THE 
PIRATE 

EMERSON 
HOUGH 


3 


0*~ 


THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 


Thus  the  heartless  jade  stood,  unable  to  meet  my  eagle  eye 


THE  LADY  AND  THE 
PIRATE 

Being  the  Plain  Tale  of  a  Diligent  Pirate 
and  a  Fair  Captive 


By 
EMERSON  HOUGH 

A  uthor  of 

THE  MISSISSIPPI  BUBBLE,    54-40  OR  FIGHT 
THE  PURCHASE  PKICE,  JOHN  RAWN.   ETC. 


ILLUSTRATED  BY 

HARRY  A.  MATHES 


INDIANAPOLIS 

THE  BOBBS-MERRILL  COMPANY 
PUBLISHERS 


COPYRIGHT  1913 
EMERSON  HOUGH 


PRESS     OF 

BRAUNWORTH    &    CO. 

BOOKBINDERS    AND    PRINTERS 

BROOKLYN.    N.    V. 


CONTENTS 


SHAPTER 

I 

II 
III 

IV 

V 

VI 

VII 

VIII 

IX 

X 

XI 

XII 

XIII 

XIV 

XV 

XVI 

XVII 

XVIII 

XIX 

XX 

XXI 
XXII 

XXIII 

XXIV 

XXV 

XXVI 


PAGE 

IN  WHICH  I  AM  A  CAITIFF 1 

IN  WHICH  I  HOLD  A  PARLEY         ....  6 

IN  WHICH  I  AM  A  CAPTIVE 14 

IN  WHICH  I  AM  A  PIRATE 23 

IN  WHICH  WE  SAIL  FOR  THE  SPANISH  MAIN  34 

IN  WHICH  I  ACQUIRE  A  FRIEND    ....  44 

IN  WHICH  I  ACHIEVE  A  NAME     ....  52 

IN  WHICH  WE  HAVE  AN  ADVENTURE      .     .  60 

IN  WHICH  WE  TAKE  MUCH  TREASURE        .  75 

IN  WHICH  I  SHOW  MY  TRUE  COLORS     .     .  90 

IN  WHICH  MY  PLOT  THICKENS     ....  97 

IN  WHICH  WE  CLOSE  WITH  THE  ENEMY      .  102 

IN  WHICH  WE  BOARD  THE  ENEMY     .     .     .  110 

IN  WHICH  Is  ABOUNDING  TROUBLE    ...  122 

IN  WHICH  Is  CONVERSATION  WITH  THE  CAP 
TIVE  MAIDEN 131 

IN  WHICH  Is  FURTHER    PARLEY   WITH    THE 

CAPTIVE  MAIDEN 143 

IN  WHICH  Is  HUE  AND  CRY 154 

IN  WHICH  Is  DISCUSSION  OF  Two  AUNTIES  158 

IN  WHICH  I  ESTABLISH   A   MODUS   VIVENDI  166 

IN  WHICH  I  HAVE  A  POLITE  CONVERSATION, 

BUT  LITTLE  ELSE                         .  175 


IN  WHICH  WE  MAKE  A  RUN  FOR  IT 
IN  WHICH  I  WALK  AND  TALK  WITH 


HEL 


ENA 


IN  WHICH  Is  A  PRETTY  KETTLE  OF  FISH 
IN  WHICH  WE  HAVE  A  SENSATION    .     . 

IN  WHICH  WE  MEET  THE  OTHER  MAN, 
ALSO  ANOTHER  WOMAN       .     .     .     , 

IN  WHICH  WE  BURN  ALL  BRIDGES 


184 

192 
205 
213 

224 

244 


M12565 


CONTENTS—  Continued 


CHAPTER 
XXVII 

XXVIII 

XXIX 

XXX 

XXXI 

XXXII 

XXXIII 

XXXIV 


PAGE 

IN  WHICH  WE  REACH  THE  SPANISH  MAIN  258 
IN  WHICH  Is  CERTAIN  CONVERSATION  .  .  267 
IN  WHICH  Is  SHIPWRECK  285 


IN  WHICH  Is  SHIPWRECK  OF  OTHER  SORT 
IN  WHICH  WE  TAKE  TO  THE  BOATS 
IN  WHICH  I  RESCUE  THE  COOK     .     .     . 
IN  WHICH  WE  ARE  CASTAWAYS    .     .     . 

IN  WHICH  Is  No  RAPPROCHEMENT  WITH 
THE  FAIR  CAPTIVE 


299 
312 
324 
333 

349 


XXXV    IN  WHICH  I  FIND  Two  ESTIMABLE  FRIENDS, 


XXXVI 

IN 

WHICH 

WE  FOLD  OUR  TENTS        .     .     . 

375 

XXXVII 

IN 

WHICH   Is  PHILOSOPHY;   WHICH,   HOW 
EVER,  SHOULD  NOT  BE  SKIPPED        .     .     . 

384 

XXXVIII 

IN 

WHICH 

Is  AN  ARMISTICE  WITH  FATE 

395 

XXXIX 

IN 

WHICH 

ARE  SEALED  ORDERS      .... 

400 

XL 

IN 

WHICH 

LAND  Snows  IN  THE  OFFING 

414 

XLI 

IN 

WHICH 

Is   MUCH   ROMANCE,  AND   SOME 

TREASURE,  ALSO  VERY  MUCH  HAPPINESS    426 


THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 


THE  LADY  AND   THE  PIRATE 


CHAPTER  I    'Vi./s      '  ''>'' 

IN    WHICH    I    AM    A    CAITIFF 

I  WAS  sitting  at  one  of  my  favorite  spots  en 
gaged  in  looking  through  my  fly-book  for  some 
lure  that  might,  perhaps,  mend  my  luck  in  the 
afternoon's  fishing.  At  least,  I  had  within  the 
moment  been  so  engaged ;  although  the  truth  is  that 
the  evening  was  so  exceptionally  fine,  and  the  spot 
always  so  extraordinarily  attractive  to  me — this 
particular  angle  of  the  stream,  where  the  tall 
birches  stand,  being  to  my  mind  the  most  beauti 
ful  bit  on  my  whole  estate — that  I  had  forgotten 
all  about  angling  and  was  sitting  with  rod  laid 
by  upon  the  bank,  the  fly-book  scarce  noted  in 
my  hand.  Moreover,  a  peculiarly  fine  specimen 
of  Anopheles,  (as  I  took  it  to  be)  was  at  that 
very  moment  hovering  over  my  hand,  and  I  was 
anxious  to  confirm  my  judgment  as  well  as  to 
enlarge  my  collection  of  mosquitoes.  I  had  my 
other  hand  in  a  pocket  feeling  for  the  little  phial 
in  which  I  purposed  to  enclose  Anopheles,  if  I 

1 


2         THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

could  coax  him  to  alight.  Indeed,  I  say,  I  was 
at  that  very  moment  as  happy  as  a  man  need 
be;  or,  at  least,  as  happy  as  I  ever  expected  to  be. 
Imagine  my  surprise,  therefore,  at  that  moment 
to.  hear  a  voice,  apparently  intended  for  me,  ex 
claim,  "Halt!  Caitiff!" 

I  looked  up,  more  annoyed  than  displeased  or 
startled.  It  is  not  often  one  sees  so  fine  a  speci 
men  of  Anopheles;  and  one  could  have  sworn 
that,  but  for  my  slight  involuntary  movement 
of  the  hand,  he  must  have  settled;  after  which 
— crede  ex  per  to! — he  would  have  been  the  same 
as  in  my  phial,  and  doomed  to  the  chloroform 
within  the  next  hour.  Besides,  no  matter  who 
one  may  be  or  how  engaged,  it  is  not  wholly 
seemly  to  be  accosted  as  a  caitiff,  when  one  is  on 
one's  own  land,  offending  no  man  on  earth,  owing 
no  debt  and  paying  no  tribute,  feudal,  commer 
cial,  military  or  personal,  to  any  man  on  earth. 

The  situation  seemed  to  me  singular.  Had  the 
time  been  some  centuries  earlier,  the  place  some 
where  in  the  old  world,  such  speech  might  have 
had  better  fitting.  But  the  time  was  less  than 
a  year  ago,  the  place  was  in  America.  I  was  on 
my  own  lands,  in  this  one  of  our  middle  states. 
This  was  my  own  river;  or  at  least,  I  owned  the 
broad  acres  on  both  sides  of  it  for  some  miles. 
And  I  was  a  man  of  no  slinking  habit,  no  re- 


I  AM  A  CAITIFF  3 

pulsive  mien,  of  that  I  was  assured,  but  a  success 
ful  American  of  means;  lately  a  professional  man 
and  now  a  man  of  leisure,  and  not  so  far  past 
thirty  years  of  age.  My  fly-rod  was  the  best 
that  money  can  buy,  and  the  pages  of  the  adjacent 
book  were  handsomely  stocked  by  the  best  makers 
of  this  country  and  each  of  the  three  divisions 
of  Great  Britain;  in  each  of  which — as  well  as  in 
Norway,  Germany,  or  for  the  matter  of  that, 
India,  New  Zealand,  Alaska,  Japan  or  other  lands 
— I  had  more  than  once  wet  a  line.  My  garb 
was  not  of  leather  jerkin,  my  buskins  not  of 
thonged  straw,  but  on  the  contrary  I  was  turned 
out  in  good  tweeds,  well  cut  by  my  London  tailor. 
To  be  called  offhand,  and  with  no  more  reason 
than  there  was  provocation,  a  "caitiff,"  even  by  a 
voice  somewhat  treble  and  a  trifle  trembling,  left 
me  every  reason  in  the  world  to  be  surprised,  an 
noyed  and  grieved.  For  now  Anopheles  had 
flown  away;  and  had  I  not  been  thus  startled, 
I  should  certainly  have  had  him.  Yet  more,  no 
fish  would  rise  in  that  pool  the  rest  of  that  even 
ing,  for  no  trout  in  my  little  stream  thereabout 
ever  had  seen  a  boat  or  been  frightened  by  the 
plash  of  an  oar  since  the  time,  three  years  back, 
when  I  had  bought  the  place. 

I  looked  up.     Just  at  the  bend,  arrested  now  by 
hand    anchorage    to    the    overhanging    alders,    lay 


4         THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

a  small  boat,  occupied  by  two  boys,  neither  of 
more  than  fourteen  years,  the  younger  seemingly 
not  more  than  twelve.  It  was  the  latter  who  was 
clinging  with  one  hand  to  the  drooping  bushes. 
His  companion,  apparently  the  leader  in  their 
present  enterprise,  was  half  crouching  in  the  bow 
of  the  boat  and  he,  evidently,  was  the  one  who 
had  accosted  me. 

A  second  glance  gave  me  even  more  surprise, 
for  it  showed  that  the  boat,  though  not  precisely 
long,  low  and  rakish  of  build,  evidently  was  of 
piratical  intent.  At  least  she  was  piratical  in 
decoration.  On  each  side  of  her  bow  there  was 
painted — and  the  evening  sun,  shining  through 
my  larches,  showed  the  paint  still  fresh — in  more 
or  less  accurate  design  in  black,  the  emblem  of 
a  skull  and  cross-bones.  Above  her,  supported 
by  a  short  staff,  perhaps  cut  from  my  own  wil 
lows,  flew  a  black  flag,  and  whatever  may  have 
been  her  stern-chaser  equipment,  her  broadside 
batteries,  or  her  deck  carronades — none  of  which 
I  could  well  make  out,  as  her  hull  lay  half  con 
cealed  among  the  alders — her  bow-chaser  was  cer 
tainly  in  commission  and  manned  for  action.  The 
pirate  captain,  himself,  was  at  the  lanyard;  and 
I  perceived  that  he  now  rested  an  extraordinarily 
large  six-shooter  in  the  fork  of  a  short  staff,  which 
was  fixed  in  the  bow.  Along  this,  with  a  three- 


I  AM  A  CAITIFF  5 

cornered  gray  eye,  he  now  sighted  at  the  lower 
button  of  my  waistcoat,  and  in  a  fashion 
that  gave  me  goose-flesh  underneath  the  button, 
in  spite  of  all  my  mingled  emotions.  Had  I  not 
"halted,"  as  ordered,  to  the  extent  of  sitting  on 
quietly  as  I  was,  he  no  doubt  would  have  pulled 
the  lanyard,  with  consequences  such  as  I  do  not 
care  to  contemplate,  and  mayhap  to  the  effect  that 
this  somewhat  singular  story  would  never  have  been 
written. 

"Halt,  Sirrah!"  began  the  pirate  leader  again, 
"or  I  will  blow  you  out  of  the  water!" 

I  sat  for  a  moment  regarding  him,  my  chin 
in  my  hand. 

"No,"  said  I  at  last;  "I  already  am  out  of  the 
water,  my  friend.  But,  prithee,  have  a  care  of 
yonder  lanyard,  else,  gadzooks!  you  may  belike 
blow  me  off  the  bank  and  into  the  water." 

This  speech  of  mine  seemed  as  much  to  dis 
concert  the  pirate  chieftain  as  had  his  me.  He 
stood  erect,  shifting  his  Long  Tom,  to  the  great 
ease  of  my  waistcoat  button. 

"Won't  you  heave  to,  and  put  off  a  small  boat 
for  a  parley?"  I  inquired. 


CHAPTER  II 

IN    WHICH    I    HOLD    A    PARLEY 

THE  two  pirates  turned  to  each  other  for  con 
sultation,  irresolute,  but  evidently  impressed 
by  the  fact  that  their  prize  did  not  purpose  to 
hoist  sail  and  make  a  run  for  it. 

"What  ho!  mates?"  demanded  the  captain,  in 
as  gruff  a  voice  as  he  could  compass:  "YeVe 
heard  his  speech,  and  he  has  struck  his  flag." 

"Suppose  the  villain  plays  us  false,"  rejoined 
the  "mates"  or  rather,  the  mate,  in  a  voice  so 
high  or  quavering  that  for  a  moment  it  was  diffi 
cult  for  me  to  repress  a  smile;  although  these 
three  years  past  I  rarely  had  smiled  at  all. 

The  captain  turned  to  one  side,  so  that  now  I 
could  see  both  him  and  his  crew.  The  leader  was 
as  fine  a  specimen  of  boy  as  you  could  have  asked, 
sturdy  of  bare  legs,  brown  of  face,  red  of  hair, 
ragged  and  tumbled  of  garb.  His  crew  was  active 
though  slightly  less  robust,  a  fair-haired,  light- 
skinned  chap,  blue-eyed,  and  somewhat  better  clad 
than  his  companion.  There  was  something  win 
ning  about  his  face.  At  a  glance  I  knew  his  soul. 
He  was  a  dreamer,  an  idealist,  an  artist,  in  the 
bud.  My  heart  leaped  out  to  him  instinctively 

6 


I  HOLD  A  PARLEY  7 

in  a  great  impulse  of  sympathy  and  understanding. 
Indeed,  suddenly,  I  felt  the  blood  tingle  through 
my  hair.  I  looked  upon  life  as  I  had  not  these 
three  years.  The  imagination  of  Youth,  the 
glamour  of  Adventure,  lay  here  before  me;  things 
I  cruelly  had  missed  these  last  few  years,  it 
seemed  to  me. 

"How,  now,  shipmates?"  I  remarked  mildly. 
"Wouldst  doubt  the  faith  of  one  who  himself 
hath  flown  the  Jolly  Rover?  Cease  your  fears 
and  come  aboard — that  is  to  say,  come  ashore." 

"Git  out,  Jimmy,"  I  heard  the  captain  say  in 
a  low  voice,  after  a  moment  of  indecision.  "Keep 
him  covered  till  I  tie  her  up." 

Jimmy,  the  fair-haired  pirate,  hauled  in  on  the 
alders  and  flung  a  grappling  iron  aboard  my  bank, 
which  presently  he  ascended.  As  he  stood  free 
from  the  screening  fringe  of  bushes,  I  saw  that 
he  was  slender,  and  not  very  tall,  one  not  wholly 
suited  by  nature  to  his  stern  calling.  His  once 
white  jacket  now  was  soiled,  and  one  leg  of  his 
knickers  was  loose,  from  his  scramble  up  the 
bank.  He  was  belted  beyond  all  earl-like  need ;  wore 
indeed  two  belts,  which  supported  two  long  hunt 
ing  knives  and  a  Malay  kris,  such  as  we  now  get 
from  the  Philippines;  as  well  as  a  revolver  large 
beyond  all  proportion  to  his  own  size.  A  second 
revolver  of  like  dimensions  now  trembled  in  his 


8          THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

hand,  and  even  though  its  direction  toward  me 
was  no  more  than  general,  I  resumed  the  goose- 
flesh  underneath  my  waistcoat,  for  no  man  could 
tell  what  might  happen.  In  none  of  my  works 
with  dangerous  big  game  have  I  felt  a  similar 
uneasiness;  no,  nor  even  in  the  little  affair  in 
China  where  the  Boxers  held  us  up,  did  I  ever 
really  consider  the  issue  more  in  doubt.  It  pleased 
me,  however,  to  make  no  movement  of  offense 
or  defense;  and  luckily  the  revolver  was  not  dis 
charged. 

When  the  two  had  topped  the  bank,  and  had 
approached  me — taking  cover  behind  trees  in  a 
way  which  made  me  suspect  Boy  Scout  training, 
mingled  with  bandit  literature — to  a  point  where 
we  could  see  each  other's  features  plainly,  I  moved 
over  to  one  side  of  my  bank,  and  motioned  them 
to  approach. 

"Come  alongside,  brothers,"  said  I,  pushing  my 
fly-rod  to  one  side;  "make  fast  and  come  aboard. 
And  tell  me,  what  cheer?" 

They  drew  up  to  me,  stern  of  mien,  bold  of 
bearing,  dauntless  of  purpose.  At  least,  so  I  was 
convinced,  each  wished  and  imagined  himself  to 
seem;  and  since  they  wished  so  to  be  seen  thus, 
seized  by  some  sudden  whim,  I  resolved  to  see 
them.  How  I  envied  them!  Theirs  all  the 
splendor  of  youth,  of  daring,  of  adventure,  of 


I  HOLD  A  PARLEY  9 

romance;  things  gone  by  from  me,  or  for  the 
most  part,  never  known. 

Frowning  sternly,  they  seated  themselves  re 
luctantly  on  the  grassy  bank  beside  me,  and  gazed 
out  in  the  dignity  of  an  imagined  manhood  across 
my  river,  which  now  was  lighted  bravely  by  the 
retiring  sun.  Had  I  not  felt  with  them,  longed 
with  them,  they  could  never  so  splendidly  have 
maintained  their  pretense.  But  between  us,  there 
in  the  evening  on  my  stream  with  only  the  birds 
and  the  sun  to  see,  it  was  not  pretense.  Upon  the 
contrary,  all  cloaks  were  off,  all  masks  removed, 
and  we  were  face  to  face  in  the  strong  light  of 
reality.  As  clearly  as  though  I  always  had  known 
them,  I  saw  into  the  hearts  of  these;  and  what  I 
saw  made  my  own  heart  ache  and  yearn  for  some 
thing  it  had  ever  missed. 

"What  cheer,  comrades?"  I  repeated  at  length. 
"Whither  away,  and  upon  what  errand?" 

Now  a  strange  thing  happened,  which  I  do  not 
explain,  for  that  I  can  not.  In  plain  fact,  these 
two  were  obviously  runaway  boys,  not  the  first, 
nor  perhaps  the  last  of  runaway  boys;  and  I  was 
a  man  of  means,  a  retired  man,  supposedly  some 
what  of  a  hermit,  although  really  nothing  of  the 
sort;  lately  a  lawyer,  hard-headed  and  disillusioned, 
always  a  man  of  calm  reason,  as  I  prided  myself; 
subject  to  no  fancies,  a  student  and  a  lover  of 


10        THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

science,  a  mocker  at  all  superstition  and  all  weak- 
mindedness.  (Pardon  me,  that  I  must  say  all  these 
things  of  myself.)  Yet,  let  me  be  believed  who 
say  'it,  some  spell,  whether  of  this  presence  of 
Youth,  whether  of  the  evening  and  the  sun,  or 
whether  of  the  inner  and  struggling  soul  of  Man, 
so  fell  upon  us  all  then  and  there,  that  we  were 
not  man  and  boys,  but  bold  adventurers,  all  three 
of  like  kidney!  This  was  not  a  modern  land  that 
lay  about  us.  Yonder  was  not  the  copse  beyond 
the  birches,  where  my  woodcock  sometimes  found 
cover.  This  was  not  my  trout-stream.  Those 
yonder  were  not  my  elms  and  larches  mov 
ing  in  the  evening  air.  No,  before  us  lay  the 
picture  of  the  rolling  deep,  its  long  green  swells 
breaking  high  in  white  spindrift.  The  keen  wind 
of  other  days  sounded  in  our  ears,  and  yonder 
pressed  the  galleons  of  Spain!  Youth,  Youth  and 
Adventure,  were  ours. 

We  smiled  not  at  all,  therefore,  as,  with  some 
thoughtful   effort,    it    is    true,    we   held    to    fitting 
manner  of  speech.     "We  seek  for  treasure,"  piped 
the  thin  voice  of  him  I  had  heard  called  Jimmy. 
"Let  none  dare  lift  hand  against  us !" 
"And  whither  away,   my  hearties?" 
"Spang!  to  the  Spanish  Main."     This  also  from 
the  blue-eyed  boy;  who,  now,  with  some  difficulty, 
managed  to  let  down  the  hammer  of  his  six-shooter 
without  damage  to  himself  or  others. 


I  HOLD  A  PARLEY  11 

"We  didn't  know  but  youse  would  try  to  stop 
us,"  exclaimed  the  red-haired  leader.  "We  come 
around  the  bend  and  seen  you  settin'  there;  an' 
we  was  resolved — to — to " 

"To  sell  our  lives  dearly!"  supplemented  Jimmy. 
"He  who  would  seek  to  stop  us  does  so  at  his 
peril."  And  Jimmy  made  so  fell  a  movement  to 
ward  his  side-arms  that  I  hastened  to  restrain  him. 

"Yes,"  said  I;  "you  are  quite  right,  my  heart 
ies." 

"But,  gee!"  ventured  the  red-haired  pirate, 
"what  was  you  thinkin'  about?" 

"You  ask  me  to  tell  truth,  good  Sire,"  I  made 
reply,  "and  I  shall  do  no  less.  At  the  very  moment 
you  trained  your  bow-chaser  on  me,  I  was  think 
ing  of  two  things." 

"Speak  on,  caitiff!"  demanded  Jimmy    fiercely. 

"Nay,  call  me  not  so,  good  Sir,"  I  rejoined,  "for 
such,  in  good- sooth,  I  am  not,  but  honest  faithful 
man.  Ye  have  but  now  asked  what  I  pondered, 
and  I  fain  would  speak  truth,  an'  it  please  ye,  my 
hearties." 

"What's  he  givin'  us,  Jimmy?"  whispered  the 
pirate  captain  dubiously,  aside. 

"Speak  on!"  again  commanded  he  of  the  blue 
eyes.  "But  your  life  blood  dyes  the  deck  if  you 
seek  to  deceive  Jean  Lafitte,  or  Henry  L'Olon- 
nois!" 

(So  then,  thought  I,  at  last  I  knew  their  names.) 


12        THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

In  reply  I  reached  to  my  belt  and  drew  out 
quickly — so  quickly  that  they  both  flinched  away — 
the  long  handled  knife  which,  usually,  I  car 
ried  with  me  for  cutting  down  alders  or  other 
growth  which  sometimes  entangled  my  flies  as  I 
fished  along  the  stream.  "Listen/'  said  I,  "I  swear 
the  pirates'  oath.  On  the  point  of  my  blade/'  and 
I  touched  it  with  my  right  forefinger,  "I  swear 
that  I  pondered  on  two  things  when  you  surprised 


me." 


"Name  them!"  demanded  Jimmy  L'Olonnois 
fiercely. 

"First,  then,"  I  answered,  "I  was  wondering 
what  I  could  use  as  a  cork  to  my  phial,  when  once 
I  had  yonder  Anopheles  in  it — - — " 

"Who's  he?"  demanded  Jean  Lafitte. 

"Anopheles?  A  friend  of  mine,"  I  replied;  "a 
mosquito,  in  short." 

"Jimmy,  he's  crazy!"  ejaculated  Jean  Lafitte 
uneasily. 

"Say  on,  caitiff!"  commanded  L'Olonnois,  ignor 
ing  him;  "what  else?" 

"In  the  second  place,"  said  I — and  again  I  placed 
my  right  forefinger  on  the  point  of  my  blade,  "I 
was  thinking  of  Helena." 

"Is  she  your  little  girl,"  hesitatingly  inquired 
Jimmy  L'Olonnois,  for  the  instant  forgetting  his 
part. 


I  HOLD  A  PARLEY  13 

"No,"  said  I  sadly,  "she  is  not  my  little  girl." 

"Where  is  she?"  vaguely. 

"Regarding  the  whereabouts  of  either  Anopheles 
or  Helena,  at  this  moment,"  said  I  still  sadly,  "I 
am  indeed  all  at  sea,  as  any  good  pirate  should  be." 

I  tried  to  jest,  but  fared  ill  at  it.  I  felt  my  face 
flush  at  hearing  her  name  spoken  aloud.  And 
sadly  true  was  it  that,  on  that  afternoon  and  many 
another,  I  had  found  myself,  time  and  again, 
ad  ream  with  Helena's  face  before  me.  I  saw  it 
now — a  face  I  had  not  seen  these  three  years,  since 
the  time  when  first  I  had  come  hither  with  the  pur 
pose  of  forgetting. 

Jimmy  was  back  in  his  part  again,  and  doing 
nobly.  "Ha!"  said  he.  "So,  fellow,  pondering  on 
a  fair  one,  didst  not  hear  the  approach  of  our  good 
ship,  the  Sea  Rover?" 

"In  good  sooth,  I  did  not/'  I  answered;  "and  as 
for  these  other  matters,  I  swear  on  my  blade's 
point  I  have  spoken  the  truth." 

Our  conversation  languished  for  the  moment. 
Illusion  lay  in  the  balance.  The  old  melancholy 
impended  above  me  ominously. 


CHAPTER  III 

IN    WHICH    I   AM    A    CAPTIVE 

UTTTHAT  ho!  Jean  Lafitte,"  said  I  at  length, 
»  V  rousing  myself  from  the  old  habit  of 
reverie,  of  which  I  had  chiefest  dread;  "and  you, 
Henri  L'Olonnois,  scourges  of  the  main,  both  of 
you,  listen!  I  have  a  plan  to  put  before  you,  my 
hearties." 

"Say  on,  Sirrah!"  rejoined  the  younger  pirate, 
so  promptly  and  so  gravely  that  again  I  had  much 
to  do  to  refrain  from  sudden  mirth. 

"Why  then,  look  ye,"  I  continued.  "The  sun 
is  sinking  beneath  the  wave,  and  the  good  ship 
rides  steady  at  her  anchor.  Meantime  men  must 
eat!  and  yonder  castle  amid  the  forest  offers  booty. 
What  say  ye  if  we  pass  within  the  wood,  and 
see  what  we  may  find  of  worth  to  souls  bold  as 
ours?" 

"'Tis  well!"  answered  L'Olonnois;  and  I  could 
see  assent  in  Lafitte's  eyes.  In  truth  I  could  dis 
cover  no  great  preparations  for  a  long  voyage  in 
the  open  hold  of  the  Sea  Rover,  and  doubted  not 
that  both  captain  and  crew  by  this  time  were 
hungry.  Odd  crumbs  of  crackers  and  an  empty 
sardine  can  might  be  all  very  well  at  the  edge  of 

14 


I  AM  A  CAPTIVE  15 

the  village  of  Pausaukee  (I  judged  they  could 
have  come  no  greater  distance,  some  twelve  or 
fifteen  miles);  but  they  do  not  serve  for  so  long 
a  journey  as  lies  between  Pausaukee  and  the 
Spanish  Main. 

They  rose  as  I  did,  and  we  passed  beyond  the 
clump  of  tall  birches,  along  the  edge  of  my  mow 
ing  meadow,  and  through  the  gate  which  closes 
my  woodland  path — to  me  the  loveliest  of  all  wood- 
trails,  so  gentle  and  so  silent  is  it  always,  and  so 
fringed,  seasonably,  with  ferns  and  flowers.  Thus, 
presently,  we  saw  the  blue  smoke  rising  above  my 
lodge,  betokening  to  me  that  my  Japanese  facto 
tum,  Hiroshimi,  now  'had  my  dinner  under  way. 

To  me,  it  was  my  customary  abode,  my  home 
these  three  years;  but  they  beside  me  saw  not 
the  rambling  expanse  of  my  leisurely  log  man 
sion.  They  noted  not  the  overhanging  gables,  the 
lattices  of  native  wood.  To  them,  yonder  lay  a 
castle  in  a  foreign  land.  Here  was  moat  and  wall, 
then  a  portcullis,  and  gratings  warded  these  nar 
row  portals  against  fire  of  musketoon.  My  pet 
swallows'  nest,  demure  above  my  door,  to  them 
offered  the  aspect  of  a  culverin's  mouth;  and,  as 
now,  I  made  my  customary  approach-call,  by 
which  I  heralded  my  return  from  any  excursion 
on  the  stream  of  an  evening,  I  could  swear  these 
invaders  looked  for  naught  less  than  a  swarm  of 


16        THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

archers  springing  to  the  walls,  and  the  hoarse  an 
swer  of  my  men-at-arms  back  of  each  guarded 
portal.  Such  is  the  power  of  youthful  dreaming, 
such  the  residuary  heritage  of  days  of  high  em 
prise,  when  life  was  full  of  blood  and  wine  and 
love,  and  savored  not  so  wholly  of  dull  common 
place  ! 

But  indeed,  (or  so  I  presume;  for  at  the  moment 
my  own  imagination  swept  on  with  theirs)  none 
manned  the  walls  or  rattled  the  chains  of  gate 
and  bridge.  The  saffron  Hiroshimi  opened  the 
screen  door  before  us,  showing  no  surprise  or 
interest  in  my  strange  companions.  Thus  we  made 
easy  conquest  of  our  castle.  As  we  entered,  there 
lay  before  us,  lighted  softly  by  the  subdued  twi 
light  which  filtered  through  the  surrounding  grove, 
the  interior  of  that  home  which  in  three  years  I 
had  learned  much  to  love,  lonely  as  it  was.  Here 
I  now  dwelt  most  of  the  time,  leaving  behind  me, 
as  though  shut  off  by  a  closed  door,  the  busy 
scenes  of  an  active  and  successful  life.  (I  pre 
sume  I  may  fairly  speak  thus  of  myself,  since  their 
is  no  one  else  to  speak.) 

My  pirate  companions,  suddenly  grown  shy, 
stood  silent  for  a  moment,  for  the  time  rather 
at  a  loss  to  carry  on  the  play  which  had  been 
easier  in  the  open.  I  heard  Jimmy  draw  a  long 
breath.  He  was  first  to  remove  his  hat.  But  his 


I  AM  A  CAPTIVE  17 

companion  was  quicker  to  regain  his  poise,  al 
though  for  a  moment  he  forgot  his  pirate  speech. 
"Gee!"  said  he.  "Ain't  this  great!" 

I  doubt  if  any  praise  I  ever  heard  in  my  life 
pleased  me  more  than  this  frank  comment;  no, 
not  even  the  kind  word  and  hand-clasp  of  old 
Judge  Henderson,  what  time  I  won  my  first  cause 
at  law.  For  this  that  lay  about  me  was  what  I 
had  chosen  for  my  life  to-day.  I  had  preferred 
this  to  the  career  into  which  my  father's  restless 
ambition  had  plunged  me  almost  as  soon  as  I  had 
emerged  from  my  college  and  my  law-school — a 
career  which  my  own  restless  ambition  had  found 
sufficient  until  that  final  break  with  Helena  Emory, 
which  occurred  soon  after  the  time  when  my 
father  died ;  when  the  news  went  out  that  I,  his 
heir,  was  left  with  but  a  shrunken  fortune,  and 
with  many  debts  to  pay;  news  which  I,  myself, 
had  promulgated  for  reasons  of  my  own.  After 
that,  called  foolish  by  all  my  friends,  lamented  by 
members  of  my  family,  forgotten,  as  I  fancy,  by 
most  who  knew  me,  I  had  retired  to  this  lodge 
in  the  wilderness.  Here,  grown  suddenly  resent 
ful  of  a  life  hitherto  wasted  in  money-getting 
alone,  I  had  resolved  to  spend  the  remainder  of 
my  days,  as  beseemed  a  student  and  a  philosopher. 
Having  read  Weininger  and  other  philosophers,  I 
was  convinced  that  woman  was  the  lowest  and 


18       THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

most  unworthy  thing  In  the  scale  of  created 
things,  a  thing  quite  beneath  the  attention  of  a 
thinking  man. 

I  have  said  that  I  was  scarce  beyond  thirty 
years  of  age.  Even  so,  I  found  myself  already 
old;  and  like  any  true  philosopher,  I  resolved  to 
make  myself  young.  As  hitherto  I  had  had  no 
boyhood,  I  determined  to  achieve  a  boyhood  for 
myself.  Studying  myself,  I  discovered  that  I  had 
rarely  smiled;  so  I  resolved  to  find  somewhat  to 
make  me  smile.  The  great  realm  of  knowledge, 
widest  and  sweetest  of  all  empires  for  a  man,  lay 
before  me  alluringly  when  I  entered  upon  my  busi 
ness  career;  and  so  interested  was  I  in  my  busi 
ness  and  my  books  that  only  by  chance  had  I 
met  the  woman  who  drove  me  out  of  both.  A 
boy  I  had  never  been;  nay,  nor  even  a  youth.  I 
had  always  been  old.  True,  like  others  of  my 
station,  I  had  owned  my  auto  cars,  my  matched 
teams — owned  them  now,  indeed — but  I  had  never 
owned  a  dog.  So,  when  I  came  hither  with  ample 
leisure,  perhaps  my  chief  ambition  was  a  deliber 
ate  purpose  to  encompass  my  deferred  boyhood. 
Thus  I  had  built  this  house  of  logs  which  now — 
with  a  surprised  and  gratifying  throb  of  my  heart 
I  learned  it — appealed  to  the  souls  of  real  boys. 
It  was  the  castle  where  I  dreamed;  and  now  it 
was  the  palace  of  their  dreams  also.  I  felt,  at 


I  AM  A  CAPTIVE  19 

least,  that  I  had  succeeded.  My  heart  throbbed 
in  a  new  way,  very  foolish,  yet  for  some  reason 
suddenly  enjoyable. 

My  house  was  all  of  logs  and  had  no  decora 
tions  of  paint  or  tapestry  within.  Its  only  arras 
was  of  the  skins  of  wild  beasts — of  the  Afri 
can  lion  and  leopard,  the  zebra,  many  antelopes. 
The  walls  were  hung  with  mounted  heads — those 
of  the  moose,  the  elk,  the  bighorn,  most  of  the 
main  trophies  of  my  own  land  and  to  these, 
through  my  foreign  hunting,  I  had  added  heads 
of  all  the  great  trophies  of  Africa  and  Asia  as 
well.  A  splendid  pair  of  elephant  tusks  stood  in 
a  corner.  A  fine  head  of  the  sheep  of  Tibet, 
ovus  poll — and  I  prize  none  of  my  trophies  more, 
unless  it  be  the  fine  robe  of  the  Chinese  mountain 
tiger — looked  full  front  at  us  from  above  the  fire 
place.  My  rod  racks,  and  those  which  supported  my 
guns  and  rifles,  were  here  and  there  about  the  room. 
The  whole  gave  a  jaunty  atmosphere  to  my  home. 
I  had  gone  soberly  about  the  business  of  sport; 
and  in  these  days,  that  can  be  practised  most  suc 
cessfully  by  a  man  with  much  leisure  and  un 
stinted  means. 

My  books  lay  about  everywhere,  also,  books 
which  perhaps  would  not  have  appealed  to  all. 
My  copies  of  the  Vedas,  many  works  on  the 
Buddhist  faith,  and  translations  from  Confucius, 


20   THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

lay  side  by  side  with  that  Bible  which  we  Chris 
tians  have  almost  forgot.  Here,  too,  stood  my  desk 
with  its  cases  of  preserved  mosquitoes — for  this 
year  I  was  studying  mosquitoes  as  an  amusement. 
I  had  collected  all  the  mosquito  literature  of  the 
world,  and  my  books,  in  French,  German  and 
English,  lay  near  my  great  microscope.  I  had 
passed  many  happy  hours  here  in  the  oblivion  of 
mental  concentration,  always  a  delight  with  me, 
now  grown  almost  a  necessity  if  I  were  to  escape 
the  worst  of  all  habits,  that  of  introspection  and 
self-pity. 

My  piano  and  my  violins  also  were  in  full  sight; 
for  the  world  of  music,  as  well  as  the  world  of 
sport  and  youth,  I  was  deliberately  opening  for 
myself,  also  in  exchange  for  that  closed  world  of 
affairs  which  I  had  abandoned.  Indeed,  all  manners 
of  the  impedimenta  of  a  well-to-do  Japanese-cared- 
for  bachelor  were  in  evidence.  To  me,  each  object 
was  familiar  and  was  cherished.  I  had  never  felt 
need  to  apologize  to  any  gentleman  for  my 
quarters  or  their  contents — or  to  any  woman,  for 
no  woman  had  ever  seen  my  home.  I  may  ad 
mit  that,  contrary  to  the  belief  of  some,  I  was  a 
rich  man,  far  richer  that  I  had  need  or  care  to 
be;  and  since  it  was  not  due  to  my  own  ability 
altogether  nor  in  response  to  any  real  ambition  of 
my  own,  I  know  I  will  be  pardoned  for  simply 


I  AM  A  CAPTIVE  21 

stating  the  truth.  My  one  great  ambition  in  life 
was  to  forget;  but  if  that  might  be  best  ob 
tained  in  sport,  in  study,  or  amid  the  gentle  evi 
dences  of  good  living,  so  much  the  better.  Many 
men  had  called  my  father,  stern  and  masterful 
man  that  he  was,  a  robber,  a  thief,  a  pirate — in 
great  part,  I  suspect,  in  envy  that  they  themselves 
had  not  attained  a  like  stature  in  similar  achieve 
ment.  But  no  one  had  ever  called  his  son  a  pirate 
— until  now!  It  made  me  oddly  happy. 

I  ought  to  have  been  happy  here  all  these  years, 
able  to  do  precisely  what  I  liked;  but  sometimes 
I  felt  myself  strangely  alone  in  the  world.  I  was 
always  silent  and  apparently  cold — though  really, 
let  me  whisper — only  shy.  Sometimes,  even  here, 
I  found  myself  a  trifle  sad.  It  is  difficult  to  be  a 
boy  when  one  starts  at  thirty;  especially  difficult  if 
one  has  always  been  rather  old  and  staid. 

I  tell  all  these  things  to  explain  that  keen  pleas 
ure,  that  swift  exultation,  that  rush  of  the  blood 
to  my  cheeks,  which  I  felt  when  I  saw  that  my 
house  and  my  way  of  life  met  the  approval  of 
real  boys.  Pirates,  too! 

Swift,  therefore,  fell  once  more  the  magic  cur 
tain  of  romance.  I  heard  a  strange  voice,  my  own 
voice,  saying:  "Enter  then,  my  bold  mates,  and 
let  us  explore  this  castle  which  we  have  con 
quered."  Yes,  illusion  floated  in  through  the 


22       THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

windows  on  the  pale  light  of  the  evening.  This 
was  a  castle  we  had  taken;  and  the  detail  that  I 
chanced  to  own  it  was  neither  here  nor  there. 

"Prisoner,"  began  L'Olonnois  sternly — he  was 
usually  spokesman,  if  not  always  leader — "Pris 
oner,  your  life  is  spared  for  the  time.  Lead  on! 
Attempt  to  play  us  false,  and  your  blood  shall  be 
spilled  upon  the  deck!" 

"It  shall  be  so,"  I  answered.  "And  if  I  do  not 
give  you  the  best  meal  you  have  had  to-day,  then 
indeed  let  my  life's  blood  stain  the  deck." 

So  saying,  I  nodded  to  Hiroshimi  to  serve  the 
dinner. 


CHAPTER  IV 

IN   WHICH   I  AM   A   PIRATE 

WITH  my  own  hands  I  have  trained  that 
prize,  Hiroshimi,  to  cook  and  to  serve;  but 
only  Providence  could  give  Hiroshimi  his  super- 
humanly  disinterested  calm.  He  fitted  perfectly  into 
the  picture  of  our  dream.  'Twas  no  ordinary 
log  house  in  which  we  sat,  indeed  no  house  at 
all.  Beneath  us  rose  and  fell  a  stanch  vessel, 
responsive  to  the  long  lift  of  the  southern  seas. 
It  was  not  a  rustle  of  the  leaves  we  heard  through 
the  open  windows,  but  the  low  ripple  of  waves 
along  our  strakes  came  to  our  ears  through  the 
open  ports.  Hiroshimi  did  not  depart  to  the 
kitchen;  but  high  aloft  our  lookout  swept  the 
sea  for  sail  that  might  offer  us  a  prize. 

If  any  say  that  this  manner  of  illusion  may 
not  exist  between  two  boys  and  a  man,  I  answer 
that  we  did  not  thus  classify  it.  By  the  new 
pleasure  in  my  soul,  by  the  new  blood  in  my 
cheek,  I  swear  we  were  three  boys  together, 
and  all  in  quest  of  adventure. 

True,  at  times  our  speech  smacked  less  of 
nautical  and  piratical  phrase,  at  times,  indeed, 
halted.  It  is  difficult  for  a  twelve-year-old  pirate, 

23 


24        THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

exceeding  hungry,  to  ask  for  a  third  helping  of 
grilled  chicken  in  a  voice  at  once  stern  and  in 
gratiating.  Moreover,  it  is  difficult  for  a  discreet 
and  law-abiding  citizen,  with  a  full  sense  of  duty, 
deliberately  to  aid  and  abet  two  youthful  runa 
ways.  But  whenever  illusion  wavered,  L'Olonnois 
saved  the  day  by  resuming  his  stern  scowl,  even 
above  a  chicken-bone.  His  facility  in  rolling 
speech  I  discovered  to  be,  in  part,  attributable  to 
a  volume  which  I  saw  protruding  from  his  pocket. 
At  my  request  he  passed  it  to  me,  and  I  saw  its 
title;  The  Pirate's  Own  Book.  I  knew  it  well. 
Indeed,  I  now  arose,  and  passing  to  my  book 
shelves,  drew  down  a  duplicate  copy  of  that  rare 
volume,  recounting  the  deeds  of  the  old  bucca 
neers.  The  eyes  of  L'Olonnois  widened  as  I  laid 
the  two  side  by  side. 

"You've  got  it,  too!"  he  exclaimed. 

I  nodded. 

"That  explains  it,"   said  Jean  Lafitte. 

"Explains  what?" 

"Why,  how  you — why  now — how  you  could  be 
a  pirate,  too,  just  as  natural  as  us." 

"I  have  read  it  many  a  time,"   said  I. 

"Wasn't  you  never  a  pirate?"  asked  Jean  Lafitte. 

"No,"  said  I,  smiling,  "although  many  have 
said  my  father  was.  He  was  very  rich." 

"Well,  you  can  talk  just  like  us,"  said  Jean 
Lafitte  admiringly,  "even  if  you  have  lost  all." 


I  AM  A1  PIRATE  25 

"Of  course,"  said  I  exultingly.  "Why  not?  I 
think  as  you  do.  As  much  as  you  I  am  disgusted 
with  the  dulness  of  life.  I,  too,  wish  to  seek 
my  fortune.  Well  then,  why  not,  John  Saunders? 
Why  not,  James  Henderson?" 

Ah,  now  indeed  illusion  halted!  Both  boys, 
abashed,  fell  back  in  their  chairs.  "How  did  you 
know  our  names?"  asked  the  older  of  the  two  at 
length. 

"Nay,  fear  not,"  said  I.  "I  do  but  seek  to 
prove  my  fitness  to  join  the  jolly  brotherhood, 
good  mates." 

"Aw,  honest!"  rejoined  Jimmy;  "you  got  to  tell 
us  how  you  knew." 

"Well,  then,  let  me  go  on.  In  your  book,  here, 
I  saw  your  father's  name,  Jimmy.  I  know  your 
father.  He  is  Judge  Willard  Henderson  of  the 
Appellate  Court  in  the  city.  I  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  under  him.  He  has  a  summer  place  at 
the  lake  above  here,  as  I  know,  although  I  have 
never  visited  him  there.  I  know  your  mother, 
too,  Jimmy, — so  well  I  should  not  like  to  cause 
her  even  a  moment's  uneasiness  about  you." 

"Do  you  know  my  auntie,  Helena  Emory?"  de 
manded  Jimmy  suddenly.  I  felt  the  blood  surge 
into  my  face. 

"Don't  misunderstand  me,"  I  rejoined,  "I  only 
have  some  gift  of  the  second  sight,  as  I  shall  now 
prove  to  you.  For  instance,  Jean  Lafitte,  I  know 


26   THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

your  earlier  name  was  John  Saunders,  although  I 
never  saw  or  heard  of  you  before." 

"Well,  now,  how'd  you  know  that?"  demanded 
the  elder  boy. 

"I  did  not  promise  to  tell  the  secrets  of  my 
art,"  I  smiled.  I  did  not  tell  him  that  I  had  seen 
the  name  of  Saunders  on  the  tag  of  a  shirt  some 
what  soiled. 

"Your  father's  name  was  John  before  you,"  I 
added  at  a  venture.  He  assented,  half-frightened, 
although  I  had  only  guessed  at  this,  supposing 
John  Saunders  to  be  a  somewhat  continuous 
family  name  in  a  family  of  auburn  Highlanders. 

"He  sells  farm  stuff  at  the  hotel  above,"  I  ven 
tured.  And  again  my  guess  was  truth. 

"You  take  the  wagon  there,  sometimes,  with 
vegetables  and  milk  and  eggs;  and  so  you  met 
Jimmy,  here,  and  you  went  fishing  together;  and 
he  told  you  stories  out  of  his  book.  I  fear,  John, 
that  your  father  licks  you  because  you  go  fishing 
on  Sunday.  That  was  why  you  resolved  to  run 
away.  You  led  Jimmy  into  that  with  you.  Yes 
terday  you  took  a  boat  from  the  lake  near  the 
hotel,  and  you  painted  her  up  and  rigged  her  for 
a  pirate  ship.  You  rowed  across  the  lake  to  the 
marsh  where  the  little  stream  makes  out — my 
trout-stream  here.  You  followed  that  stream 
down,  with  no  more  trouble  than  ducking  under 


I  AM  A!  PIRATE  27 

a  wire  fence  once  in  a  while,  until  you  came  to 
my  land,  and  until  you  saw  me.  You  were  afraid 
I  might  tell  on  you;  and  besides,  you  were  pirates 
now ;-  and  so  you  took  me  prisoner.  Marry,  good 
Sirs,  'tis  not  the  first  time  a  prisoner  has  joined  a 
pirate  band!" 

"That's  wonderful!"  gasped  Jean  T.  Lafitte 
Saunders.  "And  you  say  you  have  never  been 
up  to  our  lake!" 

"No,"  said  I,  "but  I  have  a  map,  and  I  know 
my  river  heads  in  your  lake,  and  that  very  prob 
ably  it  runs  out  of  the  low  marshy  side.  Besides, 
being  a  boy  myself,  I  know  precisely  what  boys 
would  do.  Tell  me,  do  you  think  I  would  betray 
two  of  the  brotherhood?" 

"You  won't  give  us  away?"  The  elder  pirate's 
face  was  eager. 

"On  the  contrary,  I'll  see  that  you  don't  get 
into  any  trouble." 

"That's  a  good  scout!"  ejaculated  he  fervently, 
his  freckled  face  flushing. 

"We  wasn't — that  is,  we  hadn't — well,  you  see?" 
began  Jimmy.  "Maybe  we'd  just  have  camped 
down  here  and  gone  back  to-morrow.  I  was  afraid 
about  taking  the  boat.  Besides,  I've  only  got 
about  six  dollars,  anyhow."  He  spread  his  wealth 
out  upon  the  table  before  me  frankly. 

"Have  no  fear,"  said  I.     "To-night  I  shall  write 


28   THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

a  few  letters  that  will  clear  up  every  trouble  back 
home,  and  allow  us  to  continue  our  journey  to 
the  Spanish  Main." 

"Oh,  will  you?"  cried  Jimmy,  much  relieved. 
"That'll  be  a  good  scout,"  he  added. 

Suddenly  I  found  myself  smiling  at  him,  I  who 
had  smiled  so  rarely  these  years,  whether  in  the 
Selkirks  or  the  Himalayas,  in  Uganda  or  here  in 
my  own  little  wilderness — because  Helena  had 
left  me  so  sad. 

"But  if  I  promise,  you,  also,  must  promise  in 
turn." 

Used  as  I  was,  already,  to  the  astounding 
changes  in  Jimmy  from  boy  to  buccaneer  and  back 
again,  I  was  now  interested  at  the  fell  scowl  which 
he  summoned  to  his  features,  as  soon  as  he  felt 
relieved  as  to  the  domestic  situation.  "Speak,  fel 
low!"  he  demanded;  and  folding  his  arms,  pre 
sented  so  threatening  a  front  that  I  saw  my  man 
Hiroshimi  covertly  lay  hold  upon  a  carving  knife. 

"Why,  then,  my  hearties,"  said  I,  "'tis  thus. 
I'll  sign  on  as  sea-lawyer  and  scrivener,  as  well 
as  purser  for  the  ship.  Yes,  I'll  sign  articles  and 
voyage  with  you  for  a  week  or  a  month,  or  two 
months,  or  three.  I'll  provender  the  ship  and  pay 
all  bills  of  libel  or  demurrage  in  any  port  of  call; 
and  by  my  fateful  gift  of  second  sight,  which  ye 
have  seen  well  proven  here  to-night,  not  only  will 


I  AM  A1  PIRATE  29 

I  see  ye  safe  for  what  ye  already  have  done,  but 
will  keep  ye  safe  against  any  enemy  we  may  meet, 
be  he  whom  he  may!" 

"Tis  well,"  said  L'Olonnois.     "Say  on!" 

"And   in   return   I   ask   a  boon." 

"Name  it,  fellow!" 

"Already  I  have  named  it — that  I,  too,  shall 
be  accepted  as  one  of  the  brotherhood.  Oh, 
listen" — I  broke  out  impulsively — "I  have  never 
been  a  pirate,  and  I  have  never  been  a  boy.  I 
have  had  everything  in  the  world  I  wanted  and  it 
made  me  awfully  lonesome,  because  when  you  have 
everything  you  have  nothing.  I  have  nothing  to 
do  but  eat  and  sleep,  and  hunt  and  fish,  and  read 
and  write,  and  study  and  think,  and  play  my 
music,  here.  I  do  not  want  to  do  these  things  any 
more.  Especially  I  do  not  want  to  think.  Boys 
do  not  think,  and  I  want  to  be  a  boy.  I  want  to 
be  a  pirate  with  you.  I  want  to  seek  my  fortune 
with  you." 

We  sat  silent,  almost  solemn  for  a  moment,  so 
sincere  was  my  speech  and  so  startling  to  them. 
But  thanks  to  L'Olonnois  and  his  saving  book,  il 
lusion  came  to  us  once  more  in  time. 

"Will  ye  be  good  brother  and  true  pirate?" 
demanded  L'Olonnois.  "And  will  ye  take  the  oath 
of  blood?" 

"That  I  will!"  said  I. 


30   THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"Brothers  and  good  shipmates  all" — broke  in 
Jean  Lafitte  in  a  deep  voice — "what  say  ye?  Shall 
we  put  him  to  the  oath?'' 

"Aye,  aye,  Sir!"  responded  the  deep  chorus  of 
scores  of  full-chested  voices.  Or,  at  least,  so  it 
seemed  to  us,  though,  mayhap,  'twas  no  more  than 
Jimmy  who  spoke. 

"Swear  him,  then!"  commanded  Jean  Lafitte. 
"Swear  him  by  the  oath  of  blood." 

"We — we  haven't  any  blood !"  whispered 
L'Olonnois,  aside,  somewhat  troubled. 

"That  have  we,  mates,"  said  I,  "and  the  cere 
mony  shall  have  full  solemnity." 

I  took  up  my  keen  hunting  knife  and  deliber 
ately  and  slowly  opened  the  side  of  my  thumb, 
more  to  the  pain  of  Jimmy,  I  fancy,  than  to  my 
self,  as  I  could  see  by  the  twitch  of  his  features. 

"By  this  blood  I  swear!"  said  I:  "and  on  the 
point  of  my  blade  I  swear  to  be  a  true  pirate; 
to  fight  the  fight  of  all;  to  divulge  no  plans  of  the 
company;  and  to  share  with  my  brothers  share 
and  share  alike  of  all  booty  we  may  take." 

"'Tis  well!"  said  L'Olonnois,  much  impressed 
and  delighted,  as  also  was  his  mate,  very  evidently. 

"And  now,  my  brothers,"  said  I,  "you,  also, 
must  swear  to  divulge  no  secret  of  mine  that  you 
may  learn,  to  tell  nothing  of  my  plans,  or  my 
name,  or  the  name  of  the  port  where  I  signed  on 
the  rolls." 


I  AM  rA  PIRATE  31 

"We  don't  know  your  name/'  said  Jimmy,  "but 
neither  of  us  will  give  you  away." 

Jean  Lafitte  was  all  for  opening  up  his  own 
thumb  for  blood,  but  I  stopped  him.  "This  will 
do,"  said  I,  and  stained  his  fingers  and  those  of 
L'Olonnois — who  grew  pale  at  sight  of  it  to  his 
evident  disgust. 

So,  thus,  I  became  a  pirate,  and  we  three  were 
brother  rovers  of  the  deep.  I  fancied  my  associ 
ates  would  be  loyal.  I  was  thinking  of  a  certain 
cousin  of  the  younger  pirate.  Not  for  worlds 
would  I  seek  to  pursue  her  now ;  but  there  had 
arisen  in  my  soul,  already,  a  sort  of  strange  won 
der  whether  some  intent  of  fate  had  sent  this 
youngster  here  to  remind  me  once  more  of  her, 
whom  I  would  forget. 

"Now,"  said  I  at  last,  "let  us  seek  what  fare 
the  castle  offers  for  the  night."  I  could  see  they 
were  tired  and  sleepy,  and  so  found  for  them 
bath  and  clean  pajamas — somewhat  too  large  to 
be  sure — and  good  beds  in  the  wing  of  my  log 
house.  And  never,  as  I  be  a  true  pirate,  never 
have  I  seen  so  many  and  so  various  single-fire 
and  revolving  short  arms,  in  my  life,  as  these 
two  buccaneers  disclosed  when  they  unbelted  and 
laid  aside  their  jackets!  Even  thus  equipped,  I 
found  them  looking  enviously  at  my  walls,  where 
hung  weapons  of  many  lands.  I  sent  them  to 
bed  happier  by  telling  them  that,  in  the  morning, 


32   THE  LADY.  AND  THE  PIRATE 

they  should  select  such  as  they  chose  for  the 
equipment  of  our  vessel.  "Gee!"  said  Jean  Lafitte 
again.  "Gee!  Gee!"  He  was  so  happy  that  I, 
too,  was  happy.  It  was  L'Olonnois  who  changed 
that. 

"Methinks,"  said  he,  regarding  me  sternly,  "that 
in  yonder  ivy-clad  halls  might  dwell  some  lady 
fair!  Tell  me,  is  it  not  so?" 

He  stretched  a  thin  arm  out,  in  the  sleeve  of 
my  smallest  pajamas,  and  pointed  a  slender  finger 
at  the  interior  of  my  castle  of  dreams.  Alas, 
after  all  it  was  empty!  My  old  melancholy  came 
back  to  me. 

"No,  my  brothers,"  said  I,  "no  maid  has  ever 
passed  yon  door.  No,  nor  ever  will." 

L'Olonnois  bent  his  flaxen  head  in  dignified  and 
manly  sympathy.  "I  see,"  said  he,  "our  brother 
in  his  youth  has,  perhaps,  been  deceived  by  some 
fair  one!" 

Upon  which  I  left  them  for  my  own  room. 

If  two  buccaneers  in  my  castle  slept  well  that 
night,  a  third  did  not.  Anopheles  might  go  hang. 
I  did  not  fancy  my  new  microscope.  I  doubted 
if  my  last  violin  were  a  real  Strad.  I  did  not  like 
the  last  music  my  dealers  had  sent  out  to  me.  My 
studies  of  Confucius  and  Buddha  might  go  hang, 
and  my  new  book  as  well.  For  now,  before  me, 
came  the  face  of  a  certain  pirate's  aunt,  and  she 


I  AM  M  PIRATE  33 

was  indeed  a  lady  fair.  And  I  knew  full  well — 
as  I  had  known  all  these  years,  although  I  had 
tried  to  deceive  myself  into  believing  otherwise — 
that  gladly  as  I  had  exchanged  the  city  for  the 
wilderness,  with  equal  gladness  would  I  exchange 
my  leisure,  all  my  wealth,  all  my  belongings,  for 
a  moment's  touch  of  her  hand,  a  half-hour  of 
talk  heart-to-heart  with  her,  so  that,  indeed,  I 
might  know  the  truth;  so  that,  at  least,  I  might 
have  it  direct  from  her,  bitter  though  the  truth 
might  be. 


CHAPTER  V 

IN   WHICH   WE  SAIL   FOR  THE  SPANISH    MAIN 

\Y7*HEN,  in  the  morning,  I  passed  from  my 
**  quarters  toward  the  main  room  which 
served  me  both  as  living-room  and  dining  hall,  I 
found  that  my  pirate  guests  were  also  early 
risers.  I  could  hear  them  arguing  over  some 
matter,  which  proved  to  be  no  more  serious 
than  the  question  of  a  cold  bath  of  mornings, 
Jimmy  maintaining  that  everybody  had  a  cold 
bath  every  morning,  whereas  John  insisted  with 
equal  heat  that  nobody  ever  bathed  ("washed," 
I  think  he  called  it)  oftener  than  once  a  week, 
to  wit,  on  Saturdays  only.  They  engaged  in  a 
pillow  fight  to  settle  it,  and  as  Jimmy  had  John 
fairly  well  smothered  by  his  rapid  fire,  I  voted 
that  the  ayes  appeared  to  have  it  when  they  re 
ferred  the  point  to  me. 

As  we  are  very  remote  and  never  visited  in 
my  wilderness  home,  it  is  not  infrequent  that  I 
take  my  morning  meal  very  much  indeed  in 
mufti,  although  Hiroshimi  is  always  most  exact 
himself.  On  this  morning  it  occurred  to  us  all 
that  pajamas  made  a  garb  more  piratical  and  more 
nautical  than  anything  else  obtainable,  so  we  took 

34 


THE  SPANISH  MAIN  35 

breakfast — and  I  think  Hiroshimi  never  served 
me  a  breakfast  more  delicate  and  tempting — clad 
as  perhaps  the  Romans  were,  if  they  had  pajamas 
in  those  times.  All  went  well  until  the  keen  eyes 
of  Jimmy,  wandering  about  my  place,  noted  a 
certain  photograph  which  rested  on  the  top  of  my 
piano — where  I  was  much  comforted  always  to 
have  it,  especially  of  an  evening,  when  sometimes 
I  played  Mendlessohn's  Spring  Song,  or  other 
music  of  the  like.  It  was  the  picture  of  the 
woman  who  did  not  know  and  very  likely  did  not 
care  where,  or  how,  I  lived — Helena  Emory,  to 
my  mind  one  of  the  most  beautiful  women  of  her 
day;  and  I  have  seen  the  world's  portraits  of  the 
world's  beauties  of  all  recorded  days  in  beauty. 
Toward  this  Jimmy  ran  excitedly — I,  with  equal 
speed,  endeavoring  to  divert  him  from  his  purpose. 

"But  it's  my  Auntie  Helen!"  he  protested,  when 
I  recovered  it  and  placed  it  in  my  pocket. 

"It  is  your  Auntie  fiddlesticks,  Jimmy,"  said  I 
hastily,  hoping  my  color  was  not  heightened.  "It 
is  your  grandmother!  Finish  your  breakfast." 

"I  guess  I  ought  to  know — "  he  began. 

"What!"  I  rejoined.  "Wouldst  pit  your  wis 
dom  against  one  who  has  the  second  sight;  have 
a  care,  shipmate." 

"It  was!"  he  reiterated.  "I  know  ain't  anybody 
pretty  as  she  is,  so  it  was." 


36   THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"Jimmy  L'Olonnois,"  said  I,  "let  us  reason  about 
this.  I " 

"Lemme  see  it,  then.  I  can  tell  in  a  minute. 
Why  don't  you  lemme  see  it,  then?"  He  was 
eager. 

"Shipmate,"  I  replied  to  him,  "the  hand  is  some 
times  quicker  than  the  eye,  and  the  mind  slower 
than  the  heart.  For  that  reason  I  can  not  agree 
to  your  request." 

"But  what'd  he  be  doing  with  Miss  Emory's 
picture,  Jimmy?"  argued  Lafitte. 

"That's  what  I'd  like  to  know,"  I  added.  "It 
may  be  that,  in  your  haste,  you  have  confused  in 
your  mind,  Jimmy,  some  portrait  with  that  of  the 
Princess  Amelie  Louise,  of  Funstenburg."  (I  had 
indeed  sometimes  commented  on  the  likeness  of 
Helena  Emory  to  that  light-hearted  old-world 
beauty.)  Jimmy  did  not  know  that  a  photograph 
of  the  princess  herself,  also,  stood  upon  the  piano 
top,  nor  did  he  fully  grasp  the  truth  of  that  old 
saying  that  the  hand  is  quicker  than  the  eye.  At 
least,  he  gazed  somewhat  confused  at  the  portrait 
which  I  now  produced  before  his  eyes. 

"Who  was  she?"  he  inquired. 

"A  very  charming  young  lady  of  rank,  who 
eloped  with  a  young  man  not  of  rank.  In  short, 
although  she  did  not  marry  a  chauffeur,  she  did 
marry  an  automobile  agent.  And  surely,  Jimmy, 


THE  SPANISH  MAIN  37 

your  Auntie  Helen — whoever  she  may  be — would 
do  no  such  thing  as  that  and  still  claim  to  be  a 
cousin  of  a  L'Olonnois?" 

"I  don't  know.  You  can't  always  tell  what  a 
girl's  going  to  do,"  said  Jimmy  sagely.  "But  I 
don't  think  Auntie  Helen's  going  to  marry  a  auto 
man." 

"Why,  Jimmy?"  (I  found  pleasure  and  dread 
alike  in  this  conversation.) 

"Because  everybody  says  she's  going  to  get  mar 
ried  to  Mr.  Davidson,  and  he's  a  commission 
man." 

Now,  I  am  sure,  my  face  did  not  flush.  It  may 
have  paled.  I  tried  to  be  composed.  I  reached 
for  the  melon  dish  and  remarked,  "Yes?  And 
who  is  he?  And  really,  who  is  your  Auntie 
Helena,  Jimmy,  and  what  does  she  look  like?"  I 
spoke  with  a  fine  air  of  carelessness. 

"She  looks  like  the  princess,  you  said,"  replied 
Jimmy.  "And  Mr.  Davidson's  rich.  He's  got  a 
house  on  our  lake,  this  summer,  and  he  lives  in 
New  York  and  has  offices  in  Chicago,  and  travels 
a  good  deal.  He  has  some  sort  of  factory,  too, 
and  he's  awful  rich.  I  like  him  pretty  well.  He 
knows  how  all  the  ball  clubs  stand,  both  leagues, 
every  day  in  the  year.  You  ought  to  know  him, 
because  then  you  might  get  to  know  my  Auntie 
Helena.  If  they  got  married,  like  as  not,  I  could 


38   THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

take  you  up  to  their  house.  I  thought  everybody 
knew  Mr.  Davidson,  and  my  Auntie  Helena,  too." 

Everybody  did.  Why  should  I  not  know  Cal 
Davidson,  one  of  the  decentest  chaps  in  the  world? 
Why  not,  since  we  belonged  to  half  a  dozen  of  the 
same  clubs  in  New  York  and  other  cities?  Why 
not,  since  this  very  summer  I  had  put  my  private 
yacht  (named  oddly  enough,  the  Belle  Helene) 
in  commission  for  the  first  season  in  three  years, 
and  chartered  her  for  the  summer  around  Macki 
naw,  and  a  cruise  down  the  Mississippi  to  the 
Gulf  that  fall?  Why  not,  since  I  had  still  un- 
banked  the  handsome  check  Davidson  had  insisted 
on  my  taking  as  charter  money  for  the  last  quarter  ? 

Davidson!  Of  all  men  I  had  counted  him  my 
friend.  And  now  here  was  he,  reputed  to  be  about 
to  marry  the  girl  who,  as  he  knew,  must  have 
known,  ought  to  have  known,  was  all  the  world 
to  me!  Even  if  she  would  have  none  of  me,  and 
even  though  I  had  no  shadow  of  claim  on  her — even 
though  we  had  parted  not  once  but  a  dozen  times, 
and  at  last  in  a  final  parting — Davidson  ought  to 
have  known,  must  have  known !  And  my  own 
yacht!  Why,  no  man  may  know  what  may  go 
forward  in  a  yachting  party.  And,  if  perchance 
that  fall  he  could  persuade  to  accompany  him 
Helena  and  her  chaperon  (I  made  no  doubt  that 
would  be  her  Aunt  Lucinda;  for  Helena's  mother 


THE  SPANISH  MAIN  39 

died  when  she  was  a  child,  and  she  was  somewhat 
alone,  although  in  rather  comfortable  circum 
stances)  what  could  not  so  clever  a  man  as  David 
son,  I  repeat,  one  with  so  much  of  a  way  with 
women,  accomplish  in  a  journey  so  long  as  that, 
with  no  other  man  as  his  rival?  It  would  be  just 
like  Cal  Davidson  to  go  ashore  at  St.  Louis  long 
enough  to  find  a  chaplain,  and  then  go  on  ahead 
for  a  honeymoon  around  the  world — on  my  boat, 
with  my  ...  No,  she  was  not  mine  .  .  .  but 
then  .  .  . 

All  my  life  I  have  tried  to  be  fair,  even  with  my 
own  interests  at  stake.  I  tried  now  to  be  fair;  and 
I  failed !  I  could  see  but  one  side  to  this  case. 
Davidson  must  be  found  at  once,  must  be  halted 
in  mid-career. 

It  was  about  this  time  that  Hiroshimi  came  in 
with  the  morning's  mail  and  telegrams,  all  of 
which  at  my  place  come  in  from  the  railway,  ten 
miles  or  so,  by  rural  free  delivery.  I  paid  small 
attention  to  him,  most  of  my  mail,  these  days, 
having  to  do  with  gasoline  pumps  or  patent  hay 
rakes  and  lists  from  my  gun  and  tackle  dealers 
and  such  like. 

Hiroshimi  coughed.  "Supposing  Honorable  like 
to  see  these  yellow  wire  envelopings." 

I  glanced  down  and  idly  opened  the  telegram. 
It  was  from  Cal  Davidson  himself,  and  read: 


40        THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"Name  best  price  outright  sale  bill  Helen  to  me 
answer  Chicago." 

So  then,  the  scoundrel  actually  was  on  his  way 
down  the  lakes,  headed  for  the  South,  even  thus 
early  in  the  season!  I  knew,  of  course,  that  Bill 
Helen  meant  Belle  Helene.  As  though  I  would 
sell  my  boat  to  him,  of  all  men!  It  might  almost 
as  well  have  been  a  sale  of  Helena  herself  out 
right,  as  this  cursed  telegram  stated.  I  crumpled 
the  sheet  in  my  hand. 

"If  Honorable  contemplates  some  answering  of 
mail  this  morning,  it  will  be  one  ow-wore  till  the 
miserable  pony  mail  carry  all  man  comes/'  ven 
tured  Hiroshimi. 

"Nothing  this  morning,  Hiro,"  I  managed  to 
choke  out,  "and,  Hiro,  make  ready  my  bag,  the 
small  one,  for  a  journey." 

"S-s-s-s!"  hissed  Hiroshimi,  which  was  his  way 
of  saying,  "Yes,  sir,  very  well,  sir."  Surprise  he 
neither  showed  now  nor  at  any  time;  and  since 
he  never  could  tell  at  what  hour  I  might  conclude 
to  start  for  his  country  or  Europe  or  Africa  or 
some  other  land  for  a  stay  of  weeks  or  months, 
there  was  perhaps  some  warrant  for  his  calm.  He 
had  less  to  do  when  I  was  away;  although  I  al 
ways  suspected  him  of  poaching  my  trout  with  his 
infernal  Japanese  methods  of  angling. 


THE  SPANISH  MAIN  41 

At  this  moment  L'Olonnois  saw,  through  the 
open  door,  a  red  squirrel  which  scampered  up  a 
tree.  At  once  he  forgot  all  about  his  Auntie  Helen 
and  scampered  off  in  pursuit,  followed  presently 
by  Lafitte.  This  gave  me  time  to  decide  upon  a 
plan  ...  At  last,  I  lifted  my  head  again  .  .  . 
Why  not,  then? 

When  L'Olonnois  returned  from  the  chase  of 
the  squirrel,  he  was  all  L'Olonnois  and  none  Jimmy 
Henderson.  The  spell  of  his  drama  was  upon  him 
once  more. 

"What  ho,  mate/'  he  began,  scowling  most  vile 
ly  at  me,  "the  sun  is  high  in  the  heavens,  yet  we 
linger  here.  Let  us  up  anchor,  hoist  the  top 
gallant  mast  and  set  sail  for  the  enemy." 

Jimmy's  nautical  terms  might  have  been  open 
to  criticism,  but  there  was  no  denying  the  bold 
and  manly  import  of  his  speech.  My  own  heart 
jumped  well  enough  with  it  now. 

'  'Tis  well,  shipmate,"  said  I.  "Come,  get  ready 
your  togs  and  your  weapons,  and  let  us  away.  As 
you  say,  the  good  ship  tugs  at  her  anchor  chains 
this  morning." 

I  managed  to  better  the  wardrobe  of  both  boys 
by  certain  ducks  and  linens  from  my  own  store, 
albeit  a  world  too  large.  Lafitte,  none  too  happy 
at  being  thus  uncongenially  clean,  was  delight  itself 
when  set  to  selecting  an  armament  from  my  col- 


42   THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

lection.  He  chose  three  bright  and  clean  Japanese 
swords,  special  blades  of  the  Samurai  armorers, 
forged  long  before  Mutsuhito's  grandfather  was  a 
boy — I  had  paid  a  rare  price  for  them  in  Japan. 
To  these  he  added  three  basket-handled  cutlasses, 
which  I  had  obtained  in  London,  each  almost  old 
enough  to  have  belonged  to  the  crew  of  Drake 
himself.  A  short-barreled  magazine  pistol  for 
each  of  us  was  his  concession  to  the  present  un- 
romantic  age.  As  for  Jimmy,  he  insisted  on  a 
small  bore  rifle  as  well  as  a  shotgun.  "We  might 
see  something,"  he  remarked  laconically. 

Thus  equipped,  I  persuaded  my  associates  to  lay 
aside  most  of  their  somewhat  archaic  artillery. 
Neither  had  taken  any  thought  of  other  supplies. 
Hiroshimi,  however,  now  appeared,  bearing,  in 
addition  to  my  hand  luggage,  two  hampers,  a  roll 
of  blankets  and  a  silk  tent  in  its  canvas  wrapper. 

"Honorable  is  embarked  in  those  small-going 
boat  that  is  made  tied  to  the  bank?"  inquired  Hiro 
shimi.  He  had  said  nothing  to  me  about  my  guests, 
or  asked  how  they  came;  but  as  I  knew  he  would 
find  out  all  about  it,  anyhow,  after  his  own  fashion, 
I  had  not  mentioned  anything  to  him,  or  told  him 
what  to  do.  I  only  nodded  now,  relying  on  his 
efficiency.  He  now  approached  my  young  pirates, 
and  rather  against  their  will,  removed  from  them 
some  of  their  burden  of  weapons,  slinging  about 


THE  SPANISH  MAIN  43 

himself  bundles,  baskets,  bags  and  cutlery,  until 
he  almost  disappeared  from  view.  He  cast  on  me 
a  reproachful  gaze,  however,  as  he  took  from 
Lafitte's  hand  the  bared  blade  of  the  old  Samurai 
sword,  and  noted  the  ancient  inscription  on  blade 
and  scabbard  as  he  sheathed  it  reverently. 

"What  does  it  say,  Hiro?"     I  asked  of  him. 

"Very  old  talk,  Honorable,"  answered  Hiroshimi. 
"It  say,  'Oh,  Honorable  Gentleman  who  carry  me, 
I  invite  you  to  make  high  and  noble  adventur- 
ings.'  " 

"Let  me  carry  it,  Hiro,"  said  I;  and  I  tucked 
it  under  my  own  arm. 

"Good!"  exclaimed  L'Olonnois.  "Then  you  are 
going  with  us?  And  did  you  write  the  letters  that 
you  promised  us?" 

"I  always  keep  my  word." 

"And  it'll  be  all  right  back  home  about  mother 
and  the  boat?  I'll  give  you  my  six  dollars!" 

"There  is  no  need.  I  told  you,  if  you  would 
make  me  one  of  the  crew  of  the  Sea  Rover  and 
let  me  seek  my  fortune  with  you,  I  would  gladly 
pay  all  the  reckoning  of  our  journey." 

"And  how  long  will  we  be  gone?" 

"Till  after  your  school  begins,  I  fear." 

"And  how  far  are  you  going  with  us?" 

"Spang!  to  the  Spanish  Main!"  I  answered. 

So  then  we  set  forth  down  my  woodland  path. 


CHAPTER  VI 

IN    WHICH    I    ACQUIRE    A    FRIEND 

WE  proceeded,  therefore,  through  the  wood, 
sweet  in  the  dew  of  morning,  among  many 
twittering  birds,  and  so  came,  presently,  to 
the  end  of  my  path,  where  the  little  gate  shuts 
it  off  from  my  mowing  meadow;  at  the  upper  end 
of  which,  it  may  be  remembered,  the  good  ship 
Sea  Rover  lay  anchored.  The  grass  stood  waist- 
high  and  wet  in  the  dew  as  we  turned  along  the 
meadow  side,  and  L'Olonnois  flinched  a  bit,  al 
though  Lafitte  waded  along  carelessly. 

I  observed  that  each  boy  had  now  thrust  into 
his  hat  band  a  turkey  feather,  picked  up,  en  route, 
along  my  field's  edge.  Jimmy  was  not  sure  of  the 
correctness  of  this;  and  admitted  that,  sometimes, 
he  had  read  literature  having  to  do  with  Indian 
fighting,  as  well  as  piratical  enterprises.  I  sug 
gested  that,  to  my  mind,  nothing  quite  took  the 
place  of  the  regulation  red  kerchief  bound  about 
the  head;  whereat,  gravely,  both  L'Olonnois  and 
Lafitte  discarded  their  hats  and  feathers,  for  the 
bandannas  which  I  proffered  them.  Having  bound 
these  about  their  foreheads,  a  great  Courage  and 
confidence  came  to  them. 

44 


I  ACQUIRE  A  FRIEND  45 

L'Olonnois  drew  his  sword,  and  with  some  care 
placed  the  blade  between  his  teeth.  "Hist!"  ex 
claimed  Lafitte,  himself  swept  by  his  friend's 
imagination,  and  preparing  to  place  his  cutlass  in 
his  mouth  also.  "Let  us  approach  the  vessel  with 
care,  lest  the  enemy  be  about."  So  saying,  each 
pirate  with  a  mouthful  of  cold  steel,  and  a  hand 
shading  his  red-kerchiefed  brow,  stole  through  my 
clump  of  birches  toward  the  bend,  where  the  boat 
had  first  surprised  me;  myself  following,  some 
what  put  to  it  to  refrain  from  laughter,  although 
one  rarely  laughs  in  the  young  hours  of  the  day, 
and  myself  rarely,  at  all. 

We  were  greeted  by  no  hostile  shot,  and  found 
our  vessel  quite  as  we  had  left  her,  as  I  could  see 
at  a  glance  when  we  neared  the  bank;  but,  none 
the  less,  something  stirred  in  the  bushes.  A  growl 
and  a  sudden  barking,  greeted  Hiroshimi  as  he 
approached  the  boat  in  advance. 

"You,  Tige!"  called  out  Lafitte.  The  dog— 
a  dog  none  too  beautiful,  and  now  just  a  bit  for 
lorn — approached  us,  alternately  wagging  in 
friendship  and  retreating  in  alarm. 

"Well,  what  do  you  think  of  that!"  said  Jimmy. 
"We  left  him  back  at  the  lake — sent  him  home 
half  a  dozen  times.  Hovv'd  he  get  here,  and  how'd 
he  know  where  we  was?" 

"He  couldn't  a-swum  the  lake,"  assented  John. 


46   THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"And  it  was  more'n  ten  miles  around;  and  how 
could  he  smell  where  we  went,  on  the  water  ?  Come 
here,  Tige,  you  blame  fool!" 

"Nay,"  said  I,  "he  is  no  fool,  this  dog,  but  a 
creature  of  great  reason,  else  he  never  could  have 
found  you.  And  I'll  be  bound  he  is  as  keen  for 
adventure  as  any  of  us/' 

"He  is  coming  here  last  night  two  ow-wore 
after  dinner,"  said  the  omniscient  Hiroshimi.  "Al 
so  he  bite  me  on  leg.  He,  also,  is  malefactor." 

"He  has  allotted  to  himself  the  duty  of  caring 
for  the  property  of  his  masters,  Hiro,"  I  said, 
"and  hence  is  not  really  a  malefactor.  Besides, 
since  he  would  not  leave  the  boat  and  follow  our 
trail,  he  is  by  this  time  hungry.  Feed  him,  Hiro." 

But  Hiroshimi  was  not  eager  to  approach  the 
piratical  canine  again ;  so  I,  myself,  fished  some 
thing  from  a  hamper  and  called  the  dog  to  me. 
He  ate  gladly  and  most  gratefully. 

Now,  it  is  a  strange  thing  to  say,  but  it  is  the 
truth,  I  had  never  before  in  my  life  fed  a  dog! 
I  had  won  many  knotty  suits  at  law,  had  solved 
many  hard  problems  dealing  with  human  nature — 
and  had  found  human  nature  for  the  most  part 
rarely  glad  or  grateful — but  I  have  never  owned 
or  even  fed  a  dog.  A  strange  new  feeling  came 
in  my  throat  now.  Suddenly  I  swallowed  some 
invisible  intangible  thing. 


I  ACQUIRE  A  FRIEND  47 

"John,"  said  I,  "what  breed  of  dog  is  this?" 
Indeed,  it  was  hard  to  tell  offhand,  although  he 
had  the  keen  head  of  a  collie. 

"I  guess  he's  just  one  o'  them  partial  dogs," 
answered  John,  "mostly  shepherd,  maybe;  I  dun- 
no." 

"Very  well,  Partial  shall  be  his  name.  And  is 
he  yours?" 

"He  runs  round  on  the  farm.  He  goes  with 
Jimmy  an*  me." 

"John,  will  you  sell  me  Partial?"  I  asked  this 
suddenly,  realizing  that  my  voice  might  sound 
odd. 

"What'd  ye  want  him  fer?"  he  replied.  "He'd 
be  a  nuisance." 

"I  think  not.  See  how  faithful  he  has  been,  see 
how  grateful  he  is;  and  how  wise.  He  reasoned 
where  you  were  as  well  as  I  reasoned  who  you 
were.  He  knows  now  that  we  are  talking  about 
him,  and  knows  that  I  am  his  friend — see  him 
look  at  me;  see  him  come  over  and  stand  by  me. 
John,  do  you  think — do  you  believe  a  dog,  this 
dog,  would  learn  to  like  me,  ever?  Would  he 
understand  me  ?" 

"Well,"  said  John  judicially,  standing  sword  in 
hand,  "I  dunno.  Someways,  maybe  dogs  and  boys 
understands  quicker.  But  you  understand  us. 
Maybe  he'd  understand  you." 


48        THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"Well  reasoned,  Jean  Lafitte,"  said  I,  "perhaps 
your  logic  is  better  than  you  know,  at  least,  I 
hope  so.  And  now  I  offer  you  yonder  magazine 
pistol  as  your  own  in  fee,  if  you  will  sign  over  to 
me  all  your  right,  title  and  interest,  in  Partial, 
here.  Evidently  he  belongs  with  us.  He  seems 
to  care  for  us.  And  I  experience  some  odd  sort 
of  feeling,  which  I  can  not  quite  describe.  Per 
haps  it  is  only  that  I  feel  like  a  boy,  and  one  that 
is  going  to  own  a  dog.  Is  it  a  bargain?" 

"Sure!  You  c'n  have  him  for  nuthin',"  said 
Lafitte.  "He  ain't  worth  nothin'.  Besides,  I  can't 
charge  a  brother  of  the  flag  anything;  anyhow, 
not  you."  I  inferred  that  Jean  Lafitte,  also,  was 
going  to  grow  up  into  one  of  those  men  like  my 
self,  cursed  with  a  reticence  and  shyness  in  some 
matters,  and  so  winning  a  reputation  of  oddness 
or  coldness,  against  all  the  real  and  passionate 
protest  of  his  own  soul. 

"No,  brother/'  I  said  to  him:  "I'll  not  offer 
you  trade,  but  gift.  Let  it  be  that  if  I  can  win 
the  dog,  and  if  he  will  take  me  as  his  master  and 
friend,  he  shall  be  mine.  And  you  take  the  pistol, 
and  have  a  care  of  it." 

"That's  all  right!"  said  Lafitte  shyly,  yet  de 
lightedly,  as  I  could  see. 

"Here,  Partial!"  I  called  to  the  dog;  and  being 
young  and  friendly,  and  attached  to  neither  in 


I  ACQUIRE  A  FRIEND  49 

particular,  and  only  in  general  worshiping  the 
creature  Boy,  he  came  to  me!  I  fed  him,  stroked 
him,  looked  into  his  eyes.  And  in  a  few  moments 
he  put  his  feet  on  my  shoulders,  and  licked  at 
my  ear,  and  began  to  talk  to  me  in  low  eager 
whines,  and  rubbed  his  muzzle  against  my  cheek, 
and  said  all  that  a  dog  could  say  in  oath  of  feudal 
service,  pledging  loyalty  of  life  and  limb.  At 
which  I  felt  very  odd  indeed;  and  began  to  see 
the  world  had  many  things  in  it  of  which  I  had 
never  known;  but  which,  now,  I  was  resolved  to 
know. 

"Honorable  is  embarking  those  malefactor  canine 
thing  with  so  much  impediments  in  this  small- 
going  boat?"  inquired  Hiroshimi. 

"Yes,"  I  answered.  "At  once.  All  four  of  us. 
Put  the  stuff  aboard,  Hiro." 

So,  somewhat  crowded  as  the  Sea  Rover  was, 
with  three  boys  and  a  dog,  not  to  mention  our 
supplies  and  our  armament,  at  last  we  were  afloat 
with  crew  and  cargo  aboard.  Hiro  was  not  sur 
prised,  and  asked  no  questions.  With  the  salaam 
with  which  he  announced  dinner,  he  now  an 
nounced  his  own  departure  for  his  duties  at  my 
deserted  house;  and  as  he  walked  he  never 
turned  around  for  curious  gaze.  Often,  often 
have  I,  in  my  readings  in  the  Eastern  philosophy, 
endeavored  to  analvze  and  to  emulate  this  Oriental 


50       THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

calm,  this  dismissal  from  the  soul  of  things  small, 
things  unessential  and  things  unavoidable.  An 
enviable  character,  my  boy  Hiroshimi. 

Now  all  was  bustle  and  confusion  aboard  the 
good  ship  Sea  Rover.  "Stand  by  the  main  braces !" 
roared  Lafitte. 

"Aye,  aye,  Sir!"  replied  the  crew,  that  is  to  say, 
Jimmy  L'Olonnois. 

"Hard  a  lee!" 

"Hard  a  lee  it  is,  Sir!" 

"Hoist  the  top-gallant  mainsail  an'  clew  all 
alow  an'  aloft !" 

"Aye,  aye,  Sir!" 

"Man  the  capstan!  All  hands  to  the  star 
board  mizzen  chains!  Heave  away!" 

"Heave  away!"  rejoined  our  gallant  crew,  never 
for  a  moment  in  doubt  as  to  the  captain's  mean 
ing.  And,  indeed,  he  gave  a  push  with  an  oar  at 
the  bank,  which  thrust  us  into  the  smart  current 
of  my  little  river. 

We  were  afloat !  We  were  off  to  seek  our  for 
tune  ! 

Ah,  what  a  fine  new  world  was  this  which  lay 
before  us!  But  for  one  thing,  this  had  no  doubt 
been  the  happiest  moment  in  my  life.  For,  al 
ways,  the  attaining  of  knowledge,  the  growth  of 
a  man's  mind  and  soul,  had  to  me  seemed  the  one 
ambition  worth  a  man's  while;  and  now,  as  I 


I,  too,  stood,  shading  my  eyes  with  my  hand 


I  ACQUIRE  A  FRIEND  51 

might  well  be  assured,  I  had  learned  more  and 
grown  more,  these  last  twelve  hours  or  so,  than  I 
had  in  any  twelve  years  of  my  life  before.  Before 
me,  indeed,  had  opened  a  vast  and  wonderful 
world.  That  morning,  as  we  swept  around  curve 
after  curve  of  the  swift  trout-stream  that  I  loved 
so  well,  among  my  alders,  through  my  bits  of 
wood,  along  my  hills — with  Lafitte  and  L'Olonnois 
standing,  each  alert,  silent,  peering  ahead  under  his 
flat  hand  to  see  what  might  lie  ahead  (I  astern 
with  Partial's  head  on  my  knee),  I  felt  rise  in  my 
soul  the  same  sweet  grateful  feeling  that  I  had 
when  the  new  world  of  music  opened  to  me,  what 
time  I  first  caught  the  real  meaning  of  the  Friih- 
lingslied.  My  heart  leaped  anew  in  my  bosom, 
for  the  time  forgetting  its  sadness.  I  saw  that 
the  world  after  all  does  hold  faith  and  loyalty 
and  friendship  and  perpetual,  self -renewing  Youth. 
...  I  also  rose,  cast  my  hat  aside,  and  with  one 
hand  reaching  down  to  touch  my  friend's  head, 
I,  too,  stood,  shading  my  eyes  with  my  edged 
hand,  peering  ahead  into  this  strange  new  world 
that  lay  ahead  of  me. 


CHAPTER  VII 

IN  WHICH  I  ACHIEVE  A   NAME 

SO  winding  is  my  trout  river,  and  so  extensive 
are  my  lands  along  it,  that  it  was  not  until 
nearly  noon  that  our  progress,  sometimes  halted 
by  shallows,  again  swift  in  the  deeper  reaches, 
brought  the  Sea  Rover  to  the  lower  edge  of  my 
estate.  Here,  the  river  was  deeper  and  more  silent, 
the  waters  were  not  quite  so  cold,  but  as  we  passed 
a  high  hardwood  bridge  from  which  issued  a  cool 
spring  of  water,  I  suggested  a  halt  in  our  voyage, 
to  which  my  companions,  readily  enough,  agreed. 
We,  therefore,  disembarked  and  prepared  to  have 
our  luncheon. 

It  was  obvious  to  me  that  Jean  Lafitte  and 
Henri  L'Olonnois  were  not  on  their  first  expedition 
out-of-doors,  for  they  set  about  gathering  wood 
and  water  in  workmanlike  fashion.  They  did  not 
yet  fully  classify  me,  so,  in  boyish  shyness,  left 
me  largely  ignored,  or  waited  till  I  should  demon 
strate  myself  to  them.  It  was,  therefore,  with 
delicacy  that  I  ventured  any  suggestions  from  the 
place  where  Partial  and  I  sat  in  the  shade  watching 
them. 

I  have  mentioned  the  fact  that  I  had  been  a 
hunter  and  traveler,  and  had  met  success  in  the 

52 


I  ACHIEVE  A  NAME  53 

field;  yet  the  truth  is,  I  began  all  that  late  in  life, 
and  deliberately.  To  me,  used  to  exact  habit  of 
thought  in  all  things,  and  accustomed  to  be 
governed  by  trained  reason  alone,  it  was  never 
enough  to  say  that  a  thing  was  partly  done,  or 
well  enough  done  to  pass:  only  the  best  possible 
way  had  any  appeal  to  me.  I  brought  my  reason 
to  bear  on  every  situation  in  life.  Thus,  I  studied 
an  investment  carefully,  and  before  going  into  it, 
I  knew  what  the  result  would  be.  My  investments, 
therefore,  always  have  prospered,  because  they 
were  not  based  on  guess  or  chance,  as  nine-tenths 
of  all  the  public's  business  ventures  are.  In  the 
same  way,  I  had  gone  deliberately  about  the  matter 
of  winning  the  regard  of  the  only  woman  I  ever 
saw  who  seemed  to  me  much  worth  while.  I 
argued  and  reasoned  with  Helena  Emory  that  she 
should  marry  me,  proving  to  her  by  every  rule  of 
logic  that,  not  only  was  she  the  most  lovable 
woman  in  all  the  records  of  the  world,  but,  also, 
that  love  such  as  mine  never  had  before  been 
known  in  the  world.  Sometimes,  as  I  logically 
proved  the  fitness  of  our  union,  and  grew  warm 
at  my  own  accuracy,  she  wavered,  relented, 
warmed :  and  then  again,  forgetting  my  argument, 
she  would  relapse  into  womanlike  frivolity  once 
more  ...  I  did  not  like  to  think  of  this,  as  I 
sat  in  the  shade  with  Partial.  It  cost  me  much 
in  self-respect,  irritated  me. 


54       THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

But,  having  studied  sport  and  outdoor  living 
deliberately  as  I  had  studied  the  law  and  business 
and  Helena,  I  had  rather  a  thorough  grounding, 
on  life  in  the  open,  for  I  had  read  every  authority 
obtainable;  whereas  my  young  associates  had  read 
none.  So  cautiously,  now  and  then,  I  suggested 
little  things  to  them,  as  that  the  fire  need  not  be 
so  large,  and  would  do  better  if  confined  between 
two  green  side  logs.  I  taught  them  how  to  boil 
the  kettle  quickly,  how  to  make  tea,  and  also,  more 
difficult,  how  to  make  coffee;  how  to  cook  bacon 
just  enough,  and  how  to  cook  fish — for  I  had 
taken  a  few  trout  earlier  in  the  day — and  how  to 
make  toast  without  charring  it  to  cinders.  Again, 
I  delighted  them  by  telling  them  of  little  camping 
devices,  and  quite  won  their  hearts  when  I  found 
among  Hiroshimi's  packages,  a  small  camp  griddle 
with  folding  legs,  of  my  own  devising.  It  was 
quite  clean  and  new,  but  it  performed  as  I  felt 
quite  sure  it  would.  In  fact,  reason  will  govern 
all  things — except  a  woman. 

We  ate  al  fresco,  as  true  buccaneers  of  the  main, 
and  grew  better  and  better  acquainted.  It  oc 
curred  to  me  that  mayhap  the  nautical  education 
of  my  associates  was,  after  all,  somewhat  super 
ficial,  so  I  set  about  mending  it  by  explaining 
something  of  the  rigging  of  the  ship;  and  I  gave 
them,  by  means  of  the  Sea  Rover's  bowline,  some 


I  ACHIEVE  A  NAME  55 

lessons  in  sailorman  splices  and  knots.  The  bow- 
line-in-a-bight,  the  sheet-bend,  the  clinch-knot,  the 
jam-knot,  the  fisherman's  water-knot,  the  steve 
dore's  slip-knot,  the  dock-hand's  round-turns  and 
half -hitches  for  cable  make  fast,  the  magnus-hitch, 
the  fool's-knot,  the  cat's-cradle,  the  sheep-shank, 
the  dog-shank,  and  many  others — all  of  which  I 
had  learned  in  books  and  in  practise — I  did  for 
them  over  and  over  again;  just  as  I  could  have 
done  for  them  a  half-dozen  different  ways  of 
throwing  the  diamond-hitch  in  a  pack-train,  or 
the  stirrup-hitch  in  a  cow  camp,  or  many  other 
of  the  devices  of  men  who  live  in  the  open;  for 
beginning  late  in  life  in  these  things,  I  had  studied 
them  hard  and  faithfully. 

I  could  see — and  I  noted  it  with  much  gratifi 
cation — that  I  was  rising  in  the  estimation  of  my 
pirates.  It  pleased  me  not  at  all  to  show  that  I 
knew  more  than  they  of  these  things,  for  I  was 
older  and  my  mind  was  long  my  trained  servant; 
but  I  had  monstrous  delight  in  seeing  myself  ac 
cepted  as  one  fit  to  associate  with  them.  Once 
or  twice,  I  saw  the  two  draw  apart  in  some  debate 
which  I  knew  had  to  do  with  me.  "Well,  now," 
Lafitte  would  begin;  and  L'Olonnois  would  demur. 
"No,  I  don't  just  like  that  one,"  he  would  say. 
By  nightfall — and  I  presume  I  do  not  need  to 
recall  all  the  incidents  of  our  afternoon,  or  of 


56   THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

our  pitching  camp  by  the  riverside  an  hour  be 
fore  sundown — I  learned  what  was  the  subject 
of  their  argument.  I  had  been  admitted  to  the 
pirates'  band,  but  the  question  was  over  my  name. 

We  sat  by  our  fireside,  before  our  little  tent, 
after  a  pleasant  meal  which  I  know  was  well 
cooked  because  I  cooked  it  myself — trout,  a  young 
squirrel,  and  toast,  and  real  coffee — and  Partial 
was  close  at  my  knee,  having  obviously  adopted 
me.  We  were  fifteen  or  twenty  miles  from  my 
house,  nearly  twice  that  from  their  homes,  but 
the  world,  itself,  seemed  very  remote  from  us. 
We  reveled  in  a  new  luxurious  world  of  rare 
deeds,  rare  dreams  all  our  own.  I  was  conjuring 
up  some  new  argument  to  put  before  Helena 
should  I  ever  see  here  again — as  of  course  I  never 
should — when  Lafitte  rolled  over  on  the  grass 
and  looked  up  at  us. 

"We  was  just  saying,"  he  remarked,  "that  you 
didn't  have  no  name." 

"That  is  true.  I  have  not  told  you  my  name, 
nor  have  you  asked  it.  Had  you  been  impolite, 
you  might  have  learned  it  by  prying  about  my 
place."  I  spoke  gravely  and  with  approval. 

"No,  we  didn't  know  who  you  was." 

"Let  it  be  so.  Let  me  be  a  man  of  no  name. 
A  name  is  of  no  consequence,  and  neither  am  I." 

"Sho,  now,  that  ain't  so.     I  never  seen  a  bet- 


I  ACHIEVE  A  NAME  57 

ter — now,  I  never  seen — "  Jean  Lafitte's  reticence 
in  friendship,  again,  was  getting  the  better  of 
him. 

"So  we  said  we'd  call  you  Black  Bart,"  added 
L'Olonnois. 

''That  is  a  most  excellent  name/'  said  I  after 
some  thought.  "At  present,  I  can  find  no  objec 
tion  to  it,  except  that  I  wear  no  beard  at  all  and 
would  have  a  red  or  brown  one  if  I  did;  and  that 
Black  Bart  was  rather  a  pirate  of  the  land  than 
of  the  sea." 

"Was  he?"  queried  L'Olonnois.  "Wasn't  he  a 
pirate,  too,  never?" 

"There  was  a  famous  pirate  chief  known  as 
Bluebeard  or  Blackbeard,  and  it  may  be,  some 
times,  they  called  him  Black  Bart." 

"Wasn't  he  a  awful  desper't  sort  of  pirate?" 

"He  is  said  to  have  been." 

"It  sounds  like  a  awful  desper't  name,"  said 
Jimmy:  "like  as  though  he'd  fill  up  his  ship  with 
captured  maidens,  an'  put  all  rivals  to  the  sword." 

"Such,  indeed,  shipmate,"  said  I,  "was  his 
reputation." 

"Well,"  concluded  L'Olonnois,  "we  couldn't 
think  o'  any  better  name'n  that,  because  we  know 
that  is  just  what  you  would  do." 

(So,  then,  my  reputation  was  advancing!) 

"Wasn't   you   never   a   pirate   before,    honest?" 


58        THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

queried  Lafitte  at  this  juncture.  "Because,  you 
seem  like  a  real  pirate  to  us.  .We  been,  lots  of 
times,  over  on  the  lake." 

"It  may  be  because  my  father  was  always 
called  a  pirate/'  I  replied.  "You  see,  in  these 
days,  there  are  not  so  many  pirates  who  really 
scuttle  ships  and  cut  throats." 

"But  you  would?" 

"Certainly.      'Tis   in  my  blood,   my   bold   ship 


mate." 


"We  knew  it,"  concluded  L'Olonnois  calmly. 
"So,  after  now,  we'll  call  you  Black  Bart.  You 
can  let  your  whiskers  grow,  you  know." 

"True,"  said  I.  "Well,  we  will  at  least  take 
the  whiskers  under  advisement,  as  the  court  would 
say." 

"We  must  be  an  awful  long  ways  from  home," 
ventured  L'Olonnois,  after  a  time. 

"Hundreds  of  miles  our  good  ship  has  ploughed 
the  deep,  and  as  yet  has  raised  no  sail  above  the 
horizon,"  I  admitted. 

"Do  you — now — do  you — well,  anyhow,  do  you 
have  any  idea  of  where  we  are  going?"  demanded 
Lafitte,  shamefacedly. 

"Not  in  the  slightest." 

"But  now — well — now  then " 

In  answer  I  drew  from  my  pocket  .a  map  and 
a  compass;  the  latter  mostly  for  effect,  since  I 
knew  very  well  the  bed  of  our  river  must  shape 


I  ACHIEVE  A  NAME  59 

our  course  for  many  a  mile.  On  the  map  I  pointed 
out  how,  presently,  our  river  would  run  into  a 
lake,  into  which,  also,  ran  another  river ;  and  would 
emerge  on  the  other  side  much  larger.  I  showed 
them  that  down  that  other  river,  as,  indeed,  down 
mine,  logs  used  to  float  from  the  pine  forests — 
many  of  my  father's  logs,  of  ownership  said  to 
have  been  piratical — and  I  showed  how,  presently, 
this  stream  would  carry  us  into  one  of  the  ancient 
waterways  down  which  millions  of  wealth  in 
timber  have  come;  and  explained  about  the  wild 
crews  of  river  runners  who  once  ran  the  rafts 
down  that  great  highway,  and  into  the  greater 
highway  of  the  Mississippi;  whence  men  might  in 
due  time  arrive  upon  the  Spanish  Main. 

"Is  there  any  way  a  fellow  can  get  across  from 
Lake  Michigan  into  the  Mississippi  River?"  de 
manded  Lafitte,  who  was  of  a  practical  turn  of 
mind :  and  on  the  map  I  showed  him  all  the  old 
trails  of  the  fur  traders,  explorers  and  adventurers, 
French  and  English,  who  had  discovered  our 
America  long  ago;  whereat  their  eyes  kindled  and 
their  tongues  went  dumb. 

At  last,  I  told  them  we  must  to  our  hammocks; 
and  soon  our  bloody  band  was  deep  in  sleep.  At 
least,  so  much  might  have  been  said  for  Lafitte 
and  L'Olonnois.  Alone  of  the  band  of  sea  rovers 
myself,  Black  Bart,  sat  musing  by  the  fire,  the 
head  of  my  friend,  Partial,  in  my  lap. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

IN    WHICH    WE    HAVE    AN    ADVENTURE 

OUR  band  of  hardy  adventurers  arose  with 
the  sun  on  the  morning  following  our  first 
night  in  bivouac,  and  by  noon  of  that  day,  thanks, 
perhaps,  in  some  measure  to  my  own  work  at  the 
oars,  and  a  sail  which  we  rigged  from  a  corner 
of  the  tent,  we  had  passed  into  and  through  the 
lake  which  our  map  had  showed  us.  Now  we 
were  below  the  edge  of  the  pine  woods,  and  our 
stream  ran  more  sluggishly,  between  banks  of  cat 
tails  or  of  waving  marsh  grasses.  We  put  out  a 
trolling  line,  and  took  a  bass  or  so;  and  once 
Lafitte,  firing  chance-medley  into  a  passing  flock 
of  plover,  knocked  down  a  half-dozen,  so  that  we 
bade  fair  to  have  enough  for  dinner  that  night.  It 
was  all  a  new  world  for  us.  No  one  might  tell 
what  lay  around  the  next  bend  of  our  widening 
waterway.  We  were  explorers.  A  virgin  world 
lay  before  us.  The  nature  of  the  country  along 
the  stream  kept  the  settlements  back  a  distance; 
so  that  to  us,  now,  in  reality,  retracing  one  of 
the  ancient  fur-trading  routes,  we  might  almost 
have  been  the  first  to  break  these  silences. 

Toward  nightfall  we  came  into  a  more  rolling 
60 


WE  HAVE  AN  ADVENTURE          61 

and  more  park-like  region;  our  prow  was  now 
heading  to  the  westward,  for  the  general  course 
of  the  great  river  beyond.  I  had  no  notion  to  visit 
the  city  of  Chicago,  and  our  route  lay  far  above 
that  which  must  be  taken  by  any  large  craft  bound 
for  the  Mississippi  route  to  the  Gulf. 

Farms  now  came  down  to  the  water's  edge  in 
places,  villages  offered  mill-pond  dams — around 
which,  in  scowling  reticence,  we  portaged  the  Sea 
Rover,  unmindful  alike  of  queries  and  of  jeers. 
I  found  time  to  post  additional  letters  now.  In 
deed,  I  was  preparing  for  a  long  and  determined 
enterprise.  It  was  the  Sea  Rover  against  the 
Belle  Helene;  and,  did  the  skipper  of  the  latter 
loll  along  in  flanneled  ease  and  luxury,  not  so 
with  the  hardy  band  of  cutthroats  who  manned 
our  smaller  and  more  mobile  craft,  men  used  to 
hardships,  content  to  drink  spring  water  instead 
of  sparkling  wines,  and  to  eat  the  product  of  their 
own  weapons. 

We  were  I  do  not  know  how  far  from  our  first 
encampment,  perhaps  thirty  miles  or  more,  when 
toward  five  o'clock  of  the  evening  we  concluded 
to  land  at  a  wooded  grassy  bank  which  offered 
a  good  camping  place.  We  made  all  fast,  and  in 
a  few  moments  had  our  tent  up  and  a  little  fire 
going,  Lafitte  and  L'Olonnois,  at  this,  happy  as 
any  two  pirates  I  ever  have  seen;  and  were  on 


62        THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

the  point  of  spreading  our  canvas  table  cover  up 
on  the  grass,  when  we  heard  a  gruff  voice  hail  u§. 

"Heh!     What're  you  doin'  there  ?" 

We  turned,  expecting  to  meet  some  irate  farmer 
on  whose  land  perhaps  we  innocently  were  tres 
passing;  but  the  figure  which  now  emerged  from 
the  screening  bushes  was  rougher,  bolder,  and  in 
some  indescribable  way  wilder,  than  that  of  a 
farmer.  I  could  not,  at  first,  assign  the  fellow  a 
place,  for  I  knew  this  was  an  old  and  well  settled 
country,  and  not  supposed  to  be  overrun  with 
tramps  or  campers.  He  was  a  stout  man  nearly  of 
middle  age,  dirty  and  ill  clad,  his  coarse  shirt  open 
at  the  neck,  his  legs  clad  in  old  overalls,  his  hat  and 
shoes  very  much  the  worse  for  wear.  His  face 
was  covered  with  a  rough  beard,  and  so  brown  and 
so  begrimed  that,  at  once,  I  guessed  this  must  be 
some  dweller  in  the  open.  Yet  he  seemed  no 
tramp;  and  even  if  he  were,  he  had  no  right  to 
hail  us  in  this  fashion. 

I  only  looked  at  him,  and  made  no  answer, 
feeling  none  due.  He  came  out  into  the  open, 
followed  by  a  nondescript  dog,  which  had  the  lack 
of  decency — and  also  of  discretion — to  attack  my 
dog  Partial  with  no  parley  or  preliminary.  I  wot 
not  of  what  stock  Partial  came,  but  somewhere 
in  his  ancestry  must  have  been  stark  fighting 
strain.  Mutely  and  sternly,  as  became  a  gentle- 


WE  HAVE  AN  ADVENTURE          63- 

man,  he  joined  issue;  and  so  well  had  he  learned 
the  art  of  war  that  in  the  space  of  a  few  moments, 
in  spite  of  the  loud  outcry  of  the  owner  of  the  in 
vading  cur,  he  had  •  him  on  his  back  in  a  throat 
grip  which  was  the  end  of  the  battle  and  bade  fair 
soon  to  be  the  end  of  the  enemy. 

The  man  who  had  accosted  us  caught  up  a  club 
and  made  toward  Partial  with  intent  to  kill  him. 
Then,  indeed,  we  all  sprang  into  action.  In  two 
strides  I  was  before  him. 

"Drop  that!"  I  said  to  him  quickly,  but  I  hope 
not  angrily.  "Call  him  off,  Jack!"  I  cried  to 
Lafitte  at  the  same  time. 

The  sound  of  conflict  ceased  as  Partial  was 
persuaded  to  release  his  fallen  foe,  and  the  latter 
disappeared,  with  more  wisdom  as  to  attacking 
a  band  of  pirates.  His  owner,  however,  was  not 
so  easily  daunted.  He  still  advanced  toward  Par 
tial,  and  as  I  still  intervened,  he  made  a  vicious 
side  blow  at  me  with  his  club. 

It  all  happened,  almost,  in  the  twinkling  of  an 
eye.  Here,  then,  was  an  adventure,  and  before 
the  end  of  our  second  day! 

There  was  not  time  to  learn  or  to  ask  the  reason 
for  this  man's  animosity  toward  us,  and,  indeed, 
no  thought  of  that  came  to  my  mind.  A  man 
may  lay  tongue  to  one — within  certain  bounds — • 
and  one  will  only  walk  away  from  him;  but  the 


64   THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

touch  of  another  man's  hand  or  weapon  is  quite 
another  matter.  That  arouses  the  unthinking 
blood,  and  follows  then,  no  matter  the  issue,  the 
gaudium  certaminis,  with  no  care  as  to  odds  or 
evens.  Wherefore,  even  as  the  club  whizzed  by 
to  my  side  step,  I  came  back  from  the  other  foot 
and  smote  the  hostile  stranger  on  the  side  of  the 
neck  so  stiffly  that  he  faltered  and  almost 
dropped.  Then  seeing  that  I  was  so  much  lighter 
than  himself  and  perhaps  valuing  himself  against 
me  purely  on  a  basis  of  avoirdupois,  pound  for 
pound,  he  gathered  and  came  at  me,  roaring  out 
blasphemy  and  obscenity  which  I  had  rather  Lafitte 
and  L'Olonnois  had  not  heard. 

I  had  not  often  fought  in  fact,  but  knew  that, 
sometimes,  a  gentleman  must  fight.  What  aston 
ished  me  now  was  the  fact  that  fighting  contained 
no  manner  of  repugnance  to  me.  With  a  certain 
joy  I  met  my  foe,  circled  with  him,  exchanged 
blows  with  him — unequally  it  is  true,  for  I  was 
cool  as  though  trying  a  cause  at  law,  and  he  was 
very  angry:  so  that  he  got  most  of  my  leads,  and 
I  but  few  of  his,  albeit  jarring  me  enough  to  make 
my  ears  sing  and  my  eyes  blur  somewhat,  although 
of  pain  I  was  no  more  conscious  than  a  fighting 
dog.  The  turf  was  soft  underfoot,  and  the  space 
wide,  so  that  we  fought  very  happily  and  com 
fortably  over  perhaps  a  hundred  feet  of  country, 


WE  HAVE  AN  ADVENTURE          65 

first  one  and  then  the  other  coming  in ;  until  at 
last  I  had  him  so  well  blown  that  he  stood,  arid 
I  knew  we  must  now  end  it  toe  to  toe.  I  be 
thought  me  of  a  trick  of  my  old  boxing  teacher, 
and  stood  before  him  with  arms  curved  wide 
apart,  inviting  him  to  come  into  what  seemed  an 
opening.  He  rushed,  and  my  left  fist  caught  him 
on  the  neck.  He  straightened  to  finish  me,  but  I 
stooped  and  brought  my  right  in  a  round-arm 
blow,  full  and  hard  into  the  small  of  his  back 
and  at  one  side.  It  sickened  him,  and  before  he 
could  rally,  I  stepped  behind  him,  and  having 
no  ethics  save  the  necessity  of  subduing  him,  I 
caught  up  his  arm  by  the  wrist,  and  slipping 
under  it  with  my  shoulder,  pulled  it  down  till  he 
howled:  a  trick,  only  one  of  very  many,  which 
Hiroshimi  patiently  had  taught  me. 

That  very  naturally  ended  our  contest,  and  it 
was  near  to  ending  our  war-like  neighbor  as  well. 
During  this  warfare,  which  was  short  or  long,  I 
knew  not,  my  associates,  stunned  and  perhaps 
fearful,  had  sat  silent;  at  least,  I  neither  heard 
nor  saw  them.  But  now,  all  at  once,  over  my 
shoulder  I  saw  both  Lafitte  and  L'Olonnois  run 
ning  in  to  my  assistance.  Each  held  in  hand  a 
bared  blade  of  the  samurai,  and  had  I  not  shouted 
out  to  them  to  refrain,  I  have  small  doubt  that  in 
the  most  piratical  and  unsamuraic  fashion  they 


66   THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

mayhap  would  have  disemboweled  my  captive;  for 
the  old  swords  were  keen  as  razors,  and  my 
friends  were  as  red  of  eyesight  as  myself. 

"No!  No!"  I  called  to  them,  even  as  our  vic 
tim  writhed  and  roared  in  terror.  "Drop  your 
weapons — that  isn't  fair."  They  obeyed,  shame 
facedly  and  with  regret,  as  I  am  convinced:  for 
illusion  with  them,  at  times,  indeed  overleaped 
the  centuries,  and  they  were  back  in  a  time  of 
blood:  even  as  I  was  in  a  stone-age  wrath  for 
my  own  part. 

"Come  here,  Jack,"  I  ordered,  "and  you,  too, 
Jimmy.  Do  you  see  how  I  have  him?" 

They  agreed.  "It's  a  peach,"  said  Lafitte. 
"Make  him  holler!" 

"No,"  I  replied,  easing  off  the  strain  on  the 
wrenched  arm,  "he  has  already  'hollered/  '' 

"Yes,  sure,  'nuff,  'nuff ! ye !"  cried  our  cap 
tive,  who,  now,  was  in  mortal  terror  and  much 
contrition,  seeing  both  flesh  and  blood  and  cold 
steel  had  all  the  best  of  him.  "Lemme  go!" 

"Certainly,"  I  assented;  "we  did  not  ask  you 
to  come,  and  do  not  want  you  to  stay.  But,  first, 
I  must  use  you  in  a  few  demonstrations  to  my 
young  friends.  Jack," — and  I  motioned  to  him 
with  my  head — "get  behind  him." 

Eagerly,  his  three-cornered  gray  eyes  narrowed, 
Lafitte  skipped  back  of  my  man,  and  with  no 


WE  HAVE  AN  ADVENTURE          67 

word  from  me  he  fastened  on  the  other  wrist  so 
suddenly  the  man  had  no  warning,  and  with  a 
strong  heave  of  all  his  body  he  doubled  that  arm 
up  also.  Much  roaring  now,  and  many  protesta 
tions,  for  when  our  prisoner  began  with  abuse,  we 
could  change  it  into  supplication  by  raising  his 
bent  arms  no  more  than  one  inch  or  two. 

"Now,  Jimmy,"  said  I,  "go  in  front  of  him, 
and  put  a  thumb  in  the  corner  of  his  jaw,  on  each 
side.  Press  up  until  he  begs  our  pardon."  And, 
faith,  my  blue-eyed  pirate,  so  far  from  shuddering 
at  the  task,  at  last  managed  to  find  those  certain 
nerve  centers  known  to  all  efficient  policemen;  and 
very  promptly,  the  man  made  signs  he  would  like 
to  beg  the  boy's  pardon  and  did  so. 

"Now,  give  me  that  arm,  Jack,"  I  resumed 
calmly,  since  our  subject  had  no  more  fight  left 
in  him  than  a  sack  of  meal.  "So.  Now  go 
around  and  put  your  thumbs  in  his  eyes — no,  not 
really  in  his  eyes,  but  in  the  middle  of  the  bone 
above  his  eyes.  So.  Now,  ask  this  boy's  pardon, 
or  I'll  twist  your  arms  off."  And  he  asked  it. 

"You  couldn't  do  it  if  you'd  fight  fair!"  he 
bellowed. 

"Could  I  not?"  I  asked.  And  cast  him  free. 
"Come  on  again,  then." 

"I'm  afraid,  of  them  kids,"  said  he.  "They'd 
stick  me." 


68       THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"No,  they  would  not,"  said  I;  but  still  he  would 
not  come  on.  Then  I  made  a  quick  catch  at  his 
wrist,  edgewise,  and  rolled  my  thumb  along  it  at 
a  certain  place  where  the  nerves  lie  close  to  the 
edge  of  the  bone,  as  any  policeman  knows;  and  he 
would  follow  me,  then.  So  I  led  him  to  our  little 
camp-fire. 

"Now,"  said  I  to  him,  "be  seated,"  and  he  sat. 
I  asked  him  if  he  would  shake  hands  with  me  and 
my  boys  and  make  up.  He  was  very  sullen,  but, 
at  last,  did  so,  not  cheerfully,  I  fear,  for  he  was 
not  of  good  blood. 

"Tell  me,"  I  demanded  then,  seeing  that  the 
triumph  of  calm  reason  had  been  sufficient  in  his 
case,  "why  did  you  come  here,  and  why  do  you 
try  to  drive  us  off,  who  are  only  on  a  peaceful 
journey  as  pirates,  seeking  our  fortune?" 

"Pirates!"  he  exclaimed.  "Just  what  I  thought. 
What's  the  use  my  leasin'  the  pearl  fer  a  mile 
along  here  if  anybody  can  come  and  camp,  and 
go  to  work,  right  alongside  o'  me?  If  old  farmer 
Snider,  that  owns  this  land,  hadn't  gone  to  town 
I'd  have  the  law  on  ye.  Me  payin'  my  money  in 
and  gettin'  no  protection.  Fishin's  rotten,  too!" 

I  now  perceived  that  we  had  encountered  one 
of  those  half -nomad  characters,  a  fresh-water 
pearl  fisherman,  such  as  those  who,  for  some 
years,  with  varying  fortune,  have  combed  the  sand- 


WE  HAVE  AN  ADVENTURE          69 

bars  of  our  inland  river  for  the  fresh-water  mus 
sels  which  sometimes,  like  oysters,  secrete  valuable 
pearls  or  nacreous  bits  known  as  slugs.  This  ex 
plained  much  to  me. 

"I  know  the  law,"  said  I.  "Farmer  Snider  can 
not  lease  the  highway  of  yonder  river  where  the 
Sea  Rover  passes.  But  I  know  also  the  law  of 
the  wilderness.  One  trapper  does  not  intrude  on 
another  who  has  first  located  his  country.  We  will 
pass  on  to-morrow.  Meantime,  if  you  don't  mind, 
we  will  go  with  you  to  your  camp  and  see  how  you 
do  your  work.  Please  forget  that  we  have  had 
any  trouble.  Had  you  but  spoken  thus  at  first, 
and  not  borne  war  against  these  bold  pirates,  all 
would  have  been  well." 

He  looked  at  me  oddly,  evidently  thinking  my 
mind  touched. 

"Come !"  I  said,  wiping  the  blood  from  my  face, 
and  passing  him  also  a  basin  of  water,  "you  fought 
well  and  the  wonder  is  you  did  not  kill  me  with 
one  of  those  swings  or  swipes  of  yours.  They 
were  crooked  and  awkward,  but  they  came  hard." 

He  grinned  and  saved  his  face  further  by  say 
ing:  "Well,  you  was  three  to  one  ag'in  me."  I 
smiled  and  let  it  stand  so:  and  after  a  while,  he 
arose  stiffly  and  we  all  passed  back  into  the  wood. 

We  found  that  we  were  upon  a  little  island, 
between  two  shallow  arms  of  the  stream.  The 


70   THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

camp  of  the  pearl  fisher  lay  at  the  lower  end;  and 
never  have  I  seen  or  smelled  so  foul  a  place  for 
human  habitation.  The  one  large  tent  served  as 
shelter,  and  a  rude  awning  sheltered  the  ruder 
table  in  the  open  air.  But  directly  about  the  tent, 
and  all  around  it  in  every  direction,  lay  heaps  of 
clam  shells,  most  of  them  opened,  some  not  yet 
ready  for  opening.  I  had  smelled  the  same  odor 
— and  had  not  learned  to  like  it — in  far-off  Cey 
lon,  at  the  great  pearl  fisheries  of  the  Orient. 
The  "clammer"  seemed  immune. 

Presently,  he  introduced  to  us  a  woman,  very 
old,  extraordinarily  forbidding  of  visage,  and  un 
speakably  profane  of  speech,  who  emerged  from 
the  tent;  his  mother,  he  said.  It  seemed  that  they 
made  their  living  in  this  way,  clamming,  as  they 
called  it,  all  the  way  from  Arkansas  to  the  upper 
waters  of  the  Mississippi.  They  had  made  this 
side  expedition  up  a  tributary,  in  search  of  country 
not  so  thoroughly  exploited;  without  much  success 
in  their  venture,  it  seemed.  The  old  lady,  her  head 
wrapped  in  a  dirty  shawl,  sat  down  on  an  empty 
box,  and  stroked  a  large  and  dirty  Angora  cat, 
another  member  of  the  family,  the  while  she  bit 
terly  and  profanely  complained.  It  was  now  dusk, 
and  she  did  not  notice  anything  out  of  the  way 
in  her  son's  rather  swollen  nose  and  lips. 

I  explained  to  Lafitte  and  L'Olonnois  that  we 


WE  HAVE  AN  ADVENTURE          71 

were  now  come  into  the  neighborhood  of  possible 
treasure,  and  the  sight  of  a  few  pearls,  none  of 
very  great  worth,  which  the  old  crone  produced 
from  a  cracker  box,  was  enough  to  set  off  Jimmy 
L'Olonnois,  who  was  all  for  raiding  the  place. 

"What!"  he  hissed  to  me  in  an  aside.  "Did 
we  not  spare  his  life?  Then  the  treasure  should 
be  ours!" 

"Wait,  brother/'  said  I.  "We  shall  see  what 
we  shall  see."  And  I  quieted  Lafitte  also,  who 
was  war-like  at  the  very  sound  of  the  word  pearl. 
"Them's  what  they  take  from  the  Spanish  ships," 
said  he.  "Pearls  is  fitten  for  ladies  fair.  An'  here 
is  pearls." 

"Wait,  brother,"  I  demanded  of  him.  For  I 
was  revolving  something  in  my  mind.  I  presently 
accosted  the  clammers. 

"Listen,"  said  I,  "you  say  business  is  bad." 

"It  certainly  and  shorely  is,"  assented  the  old 
dame,  fishing  a  black  pipe  out  of  her  pocket,  and 
proceeding  to  feed  it  from  another  pocket,  to  the 
discomfort  of  the  soiled  Angora  cat. 

"Well,  now,  let  me  make  you  a  proposition," 
said  I,  taking  a  glance  at  the  heap  of  fresh  shell 
which  lay  beyond  the  racks  of  trolling  lines  and 
their  twisted  wire  hooks,  by  means  of  which 
dragging  apparatus  the  mussels  are  taken — shutting 
hard  on  the  wire  when  it  touches  them  as  they  lie 


72       THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

feeding  with  open  mouths — "you've  quite  a  lot  of 
shell  there,  now." 

"Yes,  but  what's  in  it?  Button  factories  all 
shut  clown  with  a  strike,  and  no  market:  and  as 
for  pearls,  they  ain't  none.  Blame  me  for  carryin' 
a  grouch?" 

"Not  in  the  least.  But  what  will  you  take  for 
your  shells,  and  agree  to  open  them  for  us,  at 
wages  of  five  dollars  a  day?" 

"Both  of  us?"  he  demanded  shrewdly.  I  smiled 
and  nodded.  "It's  more  than  you  average,  twice 
over,"  said  I,  "and  you  say  the  stream  is  no  good. 
Now  I,  too,  am  a  student  of  the  great  law  of 
averages,  because  I  am  or  was  a  director  in  a 
great  life  insurance  company.  You  say  the  luck 
is  bad.  Like  other  adventurers,  I  say  that  under 
the  law  of  averages,  it  is  time  for  the  luck  to 
change." 

"The  luck's  with  you,"  growled  the  clammer, 
"it's  ag'in  me."  Unconsciously,  he  put  a  finger  to 
his  swollen  nose.  "What'll  you  gimme?"  he  de 
manded. 

"One  hundred  dollars  bonus  and  ten  dollars  a 
day,"  said  I  promptly;  and  he  seemed  to  know  I 
would  not  better  that. 

"Who  are  ye?"  he  queried:  "a  buyer?" 

"No,  a  pirate." 

"I  believe  ye.     I  never  saw  such  a  outfit." 


WE  HAVE  AN  ADVENTURE          73 

"Will  you  trade?"  I  asked;  "and  how  long  will 
it  take  to  open  the  lot?" 

"Nigh  all  day,  even  if  we  set  tip  all  night  and 
roasted."  He  nodded  to  a  wide  grating;  and  the 
ashes  underneath  showed  that  in  this  way  the  poor 
clams,  like  the  Incas  of  old,  were  sometimes  forced 
to  give  up  their  treasures  by  the  persuasion  of  a 
fire  under  them. 

"Very  well,"  I  said.  "We'll  call  it  a  day. 
That's  a  hundred  and  ten  dollars  for  you  by  this 
time  to-morrow.  I  invoke  the  aid  of  capital  and 
of  chance,  both,  against  you.  You  will  very  like 
ly  lose:  but  if  so,  it  would  not  be  the  first  time 
the  producer  of  wealth  has  lost  it.  But  I  make 
the  wager  fair,  as  my  reason  tells  me  I  should." 

"Ye're  a  crazy  bunch,  and  I  think  ye're  out  of 
the  state  asylum  over  yonder,"  broke  in  the  old 
woman,  "but  what  the  hell  do  we  care  whether 
ye're  crazy  or  not?  Ye  look  like  ye  had  the  money. 
Jake,  we'll  take  him  up." 

"All  right,"  said  Jake.     "We'll  go  ye." 

"To-morrow  morning,  then,"  said  I;  and  our 
party  rose  to  return  to  our  camp,  where  Partial 
greeted  us  with  warmth;  he  having  assigned  to 
himself  the  duty  of  guard.  And  so,  as  Pepys 
would  say,  to  bed ;  although  Lafitte  and  L'Olonnois 
scarce  could  sleep. 

"Let  him  attempt  to  make  a  run   for  it,  after 


74   THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

we  have  hove  him  to,  and  we  will  board  him  and 
give  no  quarter!"  This  was  almost  the  last  of 
the  direful  speech  I  heard  from  L'Olonnois,  as  at 
last  I  turned  myself  to  a  night  of  deep  and  peace 
ful  slumber. 


CHAPTER  IX 

IN    WHICH    WE    TAKE    MUCH    TREASURE 


must  be  awful  rich,  Black  Bart,"  said 
L'Olonnois  to  me  as  we  sat  on  the  grass, 
at  breakfast,  the  following  morning. 

"No,  Jimmy,"  I  replied,  putting  down  my  cof 
fee  cup,  "on  the  contrary,  I  am  very  poor." 

"But  you  have  all  sorts  of  things,  back  there 
where  you  live;  and  last  night  you  said  you  would 
pay  that  man  a  hundred  dollars,  just  to  open  a 
lot  of  clam  shells.  Now,  a  hundred  dollars  is  a 
awful  sight  of  money." 

"That  depends,  Jimmy,"  I  said. 

"'N'  we'd  ought  to  take  them  pearls,"  broke  in 
Lafitte.  "Didn't  we  lick  him?" 

"We  did,  yes;  twice."  And  in  my  assent  I  felt, 
again,  a  fierce  satisfaction  in  the  first  conquest  of 
our  invader,  that  of  body  to  body,  eye  to  eye ; 
rather  than  in  the  one  where  I  brought  intellect 
to  aid  in  war.  "But  there  are  two  ways  of  being 
a  pirate.  Let  us  see  if  we  can  not  win  treasure 
by  taking  a  chance  in  logic,  and  so  be  modern 
pirates." 

They  did  not  understand  me,  and  went  mute, 
but  at  last  Jimmy  resumed  his  catechism.  "Who 
owns  the  place  where  you  live,  Black  Bart?" 

75 


76       THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"I  do." 

"But  how  much?" 

"Some  five  or  six  miles." 

"Gee!  That  must  be  over  a  hundred  acres.  I 
didn't  know  anybody  owned  that  much  land. 
Where'd  you  get  it?" 

"In  part  from  my  father." 

"What  business  was  he  in?" 

"He  was  a  pirate,  Jimmy,  or  at  least,  they  said 
he  was.  But  my  mother  was  not. — I  will  tell 
you,"  I  added  suddenly:  "my  father  owned  a  great 
deal  of  timber  land  long  ago,  and  iron,  and  oil, 
and  copper,  when  nobody  cared  much  for  them. 
They  say,  now,  he  stole  some  of  them,  I  don't 
know.  In  those  days  people  weren't  so  particular. 
The  more  he  got,  the  more  he  wanted.  He  never 
was  a  boy  like  you  and  me.  He  educated  me  as 
a  lawyer,  so  that  I  could  take  care  of  his  business 
and  his  property,  and  he  trained  me  in  the  pirate 
business  the  best  he  could,  and  I  made  money  too, 
all  I  wanted.  You  see,  my  father  could  never  get 
enough,  but  I  did;  perhaps,  because  my  mother 
wasn't  a  pirate,  you  see.  So,  when  I  got  enough, 
my  father  and  mother  both  died,  and  when  I  began 
to  see  that,  maybe,  my  father  had  taken  a  little 
more  than  our  share,  I  began  trying  to  do  some 
thing  for  people  .  .  .  but  I  can't  talk  about  that, 
of  course." 


WE  TAKE  MUCH  TREASURE         77 

"Well,  why  not?"  demanded  Lafitte.     "Go  on." 

"A  fellow  doesn't  like  to." 

"But  what  did  you  do?" 

"Very  little.  I  found  I  could  not  do  very  much. 
I  gave  some  buildings  to  schools,  that  sort  of 
thing.  No  one  thanked  me  much.  A  good  many 
called  me  a  Socialist." 

"What's  that— a  Socialist?" 

"I  can't  tell  you.  Nobody  knows.  But  really, 
I  suppose,  a  Socialist  is  a  man  born  before  the 
world  got  used  to  steam  and  electricity.  Those 
things  made  a  lot  of  changes,  you  see,  and  in  the 
confusion  some  people  didn't  get  quite  as  square 
a  deal  as  they  deserved;  or  at  least,  they  didn't 
think  they  had.  It  takes  time,  really,  as  I  sup 
pose,  to  settle  down  after  any  great  change.  It's 
like  moving  a  house." 

"I  see,"  said  Jimmy  sagely.  "But,  Black  Bart, 
you  always  seemed  to  me  like  as  if,  now,  well, 
like  you  was  studyin'  or  something,  somehow. 
Ain't  you  never  had  no  good  times  before?" 

"No.  This  is  about  the  first  really  good  time 
I  ever  had  in  all  my  life.  You  see,  you  can't  real 
ly  understand  things  that  you  look  at  from  a  long 
way  off — you've  got  to  get  right  in  with  folks  to 
know  what  folks  are.  Don't  you  think  so?" 

"I  know  it!"  answered  Jimmy,  with  conviction. 
And  I  recalled,  though  he  did  not,  the  fact  that 


78   THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

he  bathed  daily,  Lafitte  weekly,  yet  no  gulf  was 
fixed  between  their  portions  of  the  general  human 
ity. 

"It  must  be  nice  to  be  rich,"  ventured  Lafitte 
presently.  "I'm  going  to  be,  some  day." 

"Is  that  why  you  go  a-pirating?"  I  smiled. 

"Maybe.     But  mostly,  because  I  like  it." 

"It's  a  sort  of  game,"  said  L'Olonnois. 

"All  life  is  a  sort  of  game,  my  hearties,"  said 
I.  "What  you  two  just  have  said  covers  most  of 
the  noble  trade  of  piracy  and  nearly  all  of  the 
pretty  game  of  life.  You  are  wise  as  I  am,  wise 
as  any  man,  indeed." 

"What  I  like  about  you,  Black  Bart,"  resumed 
L'Olonnois,  naively,  "is,  you  seem  always  fair." 

I  flushed  at  this,  suddenly,  and  pushed  back  my 
plate.  "Jimmy,"  said  I  at  last,  "I  would  rather 
have  heard  that,  from  you,  than  to  hear  I  had 
made  a  million  dollars  from  pearls  or  anything 
else.  For  that  has  always  been  my  great  hope 
and  wish — that  some  day  I  could  teach  myself 
always  to  be  fair — not  to  deceive  anybody,  most 
of  all  not  myself;  in  short,  to  be  fair.  Brother, 
I  thank  you,  if  you  really  believe  I  have  succeeded 
to  some  extent." 

"Why  ain't  you  always  jolly,  like  you  was  havin' 
a  good  time,  then?"  demanded  my  blue-eyed  in 
quisitor.  "Honor  bright!" 


WE  TAKE  MUCH  TREASURE         79 

"Must  it  be  honor  bright?" 

"Yes." 

"Then  I  will  tell  you.  It  is  because  of  the  first 
chapter  of  Genesis,  Jimmy." 

"What's  that?" 

"Fie!  Fie!  Jimmy,  haven't  you  read  that?" 
He  shook  his  head. 

"I've  read  a  little  about  the  fights,"  he  said, 
"when  Saul  'n'  David  'n'  a  lot  of  'em  slew  them 
tens  of  thousands.  But  Genesis  was  dry." 

"Do  you  remember  any  place  where  it  says 
'Male  and  female  created  He  them'?" 

"Oh,  yes;  but  what  of  it?     That's  dry." 

"Is  it,  though?"  I  exclaimed.  "And  you  with 
an  Auntie  Helena,  and  a  brother  Black  Bart.  Jim 
my  L'Olonnois,  little  do  you  know  what  you  say!" 

"Well,  now,"  interrupted  the  ruthless  soul  of 
Jean  Lafitte,  "how  about  them  pearls?" 

"That's  so,"  assented  Jimmy.  "Pearls  is  booty." 

"Very  well,  then,  shipmates,"  I  assented,  "as 
soon  as  we  have  washed  the  dishes,  we  will  see 
what  can  be  done  with  the  enemy  yonder," 

We  found  our  two  clammers,  the  young  man 
and  his  crone  of  a  mother,  up  betimes  and  hard 
at  work,  as  evil-looking  a  pair  as  ever  I  saw.  The 
man's  face  was  still  puffed  and  discolored,  where 
my  fists  had  punished  him,  and  his  disposition  had 
not  improved  overnight.  His  hag-like  dam  also 


80        THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

regarded  us  with  suspicion  and  disfavor,  I  could 
note,  and  I  saw  her  glance  from  me  to  her  son, 
making  mental  comparisons;  and  guessed  she  had 
heard  explanations  regarding  black  eyes  which  did 
not  wholly  satisfy  her. 

They  had  already  roasted  open  and  examined 
quite  a  heap  of  shells  by  the  time  we  arrived,  and 
I  inquired,  pleasantly,  if  they  had  found  anything. 
The  man  answered  surlily  that  they  had  not;  but 
something  made  me  feel  suspicious,  since  they 
had  made  so  early  a  start.  I  saw  him  now  and 
then  wipe  his  hands  on  his  overalls,  and  several 
times  noted  that  as  he  did  so,  his  middle  finger 
projected  down  below  the  others,  as  though  he 
v/ere  touching  for  something  inside  his  pocket, 
which  lay  in  front,  the  overalls  being  made  for  a 
carpenter,  with  a  narrow  pocket  devised  for  car 
rying  a  folded  foot-rule.  But  I  could  see  nothing 
suggested  in  the  pocket. 

"That's  too  bad,"  I  said  pleasantly.  "It  looks 
as  though  I  were  going  to  lose  my  hundred,  doesn't 
it?  Still,  the  day  is  long." 

I  busied  myself  in  watching  the  deft  work  of 
the  two  as  they  opened  the  shells  started  by  the 
heat,  sweeping  out  the  fetid  contents,  and  feeling 
in  one  swift  motion  of  a  thumb  for  any  hidden 
secretion  of  the  nacre.  Nothing  was  found  while 
I  was  watching,  and  as  I  did  not  much  like  the 


WE  TAKE  MUCH  TREASURE         81 

odor,  I  drew  to  one  side.  I  found  L'Olonnois  and 
Lafitte  standing  apart,  in  full  character,  arms 
folded  and  scowling  heavily. 

"If  yonder  villain  plays  us  false,"  said  Lafitte 
between  his  clenched  teeth,  "he  shall  feel  the  venge 
ance  of  Jean  Lafitte!  And  I  wouldn't  put  it  a 
blame  bit  a-past  him,  neither,"  he  added,  slightly 
out  of  drawing  for  the  time. 

"You  are  well  named,  Lafitte,"  I  smiled.  "You 
are  a  good  business  man.  But  the  day  is  long." 

It  was,  indeed,  long,  and  I  put  in  part  of  it 
wandering  about  with  Partial,  hunting  for 
squirrels,  which  he  took  much  delight  in  chasing 
up  trees.  Again,  I  lay  for  a  time  reading  one  of 
my  favorite  authors,  the  wise  stoic,  Epictetus, 
tarrying  over  one  of  my  favorite  passages : 

"Remember  that  you  are  an  actor  of  just  such 
a  part  as  is  assigned  you  by  the  Poet  of  the  play; 
of  a  short  part,  if  the  part  be  short,  of  a  long  part 
if  the  part  be  long.  Should  He  wish  you  to  act 
the  part  of  a  beggar,  ('or  of  a  pirate,'  I  inter 
polated,  aloud  to  myself,  and  smiling)  take  care 
to  act  it  naturally  and  nobly;  and  the  same  if  it 
be  the  part  of  a  lame  man,  or  a  ruler,  or  a  private 
man.  For  this  is  in  your  power — to  act  well  the 
part  assigned  to  you;  but  to  choose  that  part  is 
the  function  of  another." 

I  lay  thoughtful,  querying.     Was  I  a  rich  man, 


82   THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

or  a  poor  man?  Was  I  a  ruler,  or  a  private  man, 
or  a  lame  man?  ...  I  asked  myself  many  ques 
tions,  concluding  that  all  my  life  I  had,  like  most 
of  us  all,  been  more  or  less  a  lame  man  and  a 
private  man  after  all,  and  much  like  my  fellow. 
...  It  was  a  great  day  for  me;  since  each  day  I 
seek  to  learn  something.  And  here  now  was  I, 
blessed  by  the  printed  wisdom  of  age  and  philoso 
phy,  and  yet  more  blessed  by  the  spoken  philosophy 
of  unthinking  Youth.  ...  I  lay  flat,  my  arms 
out  on  the  grass,  and  looked  up  at  the  leaves.  I 
felt  myself  a  part  of  the  eternal  changeless 
scheme,  and  was  well  content.  It  has  always  been 
impossible  for  me  to  care  for  the  little  things  of 
life — such  as  the  amassing  of  money — when  I  am 
alone  in  the  woods.  I  pondered  now  on  the  wis 
dom  of  my  teachers,  Epictetus,  Jimmy,  John  and 
the  author  of  the  Book  of  Genesis. 

I  arose  at  last  with  less  of  melancholy  and  more 
of  resolve  than  I  had  known  for  years.  The  world 
swam  true  on  its  axis  all  around  me;  and  I,  who 
all  my  life  had  been  in  some  way  out  of  balance 
in  the  world,  now  walked  with  a  strange  feeling 
of  poise  and  certainty.  .  .  .  No,  I  said  to  myself, 
I  would  argue  no  more  with  Helena.  And  mean 
time  since  the  Poet  of  the  play  had  assigned  me 
the  double  role  of  pirate  and  boy,  I  was  resolved 
to  act  both  "naturally  and  nobly." 


WE  TAKE  MUCH  TREASURE         83 

I  could  not  have  called  either  of  my  associates 
less  than  natural  and  noble  in  his  part,  viewed  as 
I  found  them  when  at  length  I  sought  them  to 
partake  of  a  cold  luncheon.  They  stood  apart, 
gloom  and  stern  dignity  themselves,  offering  no 
speech  to  the  laboring  clammers,  who,  by  this  time, 
were  but  masses  of  evil  odors  and  ill-temper  in 
equal  parts. 

"I  think  he's  holdin'  out  on  us !"  hissed  Jean 
Lafitte,  as  I  approached.  "Time  and  again  I  seen 
the  varlet  make  false  moves.  Let  him  have  a 
care!  The  eye  of  Jean  Lafitte  is  upon  him!" 

For  my  own  part,  I  cared  little  for  anything 
beyond  the  sport  in  my  pearl  venture,  but  no  man 
likes  to  be  "done,"  so  I  joined  the  guard  over  the 
pearl  fishing.  I  could  see  little  indication  of  suc 
cess  on  the  part  of  the  two  clammers,  who  went 
on  in  their  work  steadily,  exchanging  no  more 
than  a  monosyllable  now  and  then,  but  who  were 
animated,  it  seemed  to  us,  by  the  same  excitement 
which  governs  the  miner  washing  gravel  in  his 
pan.  They  scarce  could  rest,  but  went  on  from 
shell  to  shell,  opening  each  as  eagerly  as  though 
it  meant  a  fortune.  This  of  itself  seemed  to  me 
both  natural  arid  yet  not  wholly  natural;  for  it  was 
now  late  in  the  day's  work.  Why  should  they  go 
on  quite  so  eagerly  in  what  six  hours  of  stooping 
in  the  sun  should  have  made  monotonous  routine? 


84        THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

They  showed  me  a  few  pieces  they  had  saved, 
splinters  and  slugs  of  nacre,  misshapen  and  of  no 
luster,  and  sneered  at  the  net  results,  worth,  at 
most,  not  so  much  as  the  day's  wages  I  was  pay 
ing  either.  I  cared  nothing  for  the  results,  and 
smiled  and  nodded  as  I  took  them. 

Thus  the  day  wore  on  till  mid-afternoon,  when, 
such  had  been  the  zeal  of  the  clammers,  the  heap 
of  bivalves  was  exhausted.  They  stood  erect, 
straightening  their  stiffened  backs,  and  grinned  as 
they  looked  at  me. 

"Well,"  said  the  old  hag,  "I  reckon  ye're  satis 
fied  now  that  we  know  this  business  better'n  you 
do.  He  told  ye  there  wasn't  no  pearl  in  this  river." 

"No;"  added  her  hopeful  son,  "an'  come  to 
think  of  it,  how'd  I  ever  know  you  had  a  hundred 
dollars?  I  ain't  seen  it  yet.  But  we've  done,  so 
let's  see  it  now." 

I  quietly  opened  my  pocketbook  and  took  several 
bills  of  that  yellow-backed  denomination,  and  se 
lected  one  for  him.  He  took  it  at  first  suspicious 
ly,  then  greedily,  and  I  saw  his  eyes  go  to  my 
wallet.  "I  forgot,"  said  I,  and  took  out  two  bills 
of  five  dollars  each,  which  I  handed  to  him. 

"By  golly!"  said  he,  "so'd  I  forgot!" 

"Why  did  you  forget  about  your  wages?"  I 
asked,  and  looked  at  him  keenly.  He  turned  his 
eyes  aside. 


WE  TAKE  MUCH  TREASURE         85 

"This  fresh-water  pearl  fishing/'  said  I,  "has 
many  points  of  likeness  to  the  ocean  pearl  fishing 
in  Ceylon." 

"You  been  there?"  he  queried.  "And  why  is 
it  like  them?" 

"In  several  ways.  It  is,  in  the  first  place,  all 
a  gamble.  The  pearl  merchants  buy  the  oysters 
as  I  bought  my  mussels,  by  the  lump  and  as  a 
chance,  based  on  the  law  of  average  product.  They 
rot  the  oysters  as  you  do  the  mussels.  The  smell 
is  the  same :  and  many  other  things  are  the  same. 
For  instance,  it  is  almost  impossible  to  keep  the 
diver  from  stealing  pearls,  just  as  it  is  hard  to 
keep  the  Kafirs  from  stealing  the  diamonds  they 
find  in  the  mines." 

I  still  was  looking  at  him  closely,  and  now  I 
said  to  him  mildly,  and  in  a  low  tone  of  voice, 
"It  would  be  of  no  use — I  should  only  beat  you 
again;  and  I  would  rather  spare  your  mother. 
You  see,"  I  added  in  a  louder  tone  of  voice,  "the 
natives  put  pearls  in  their  hair,  between  their  toes, 
in  their  mouths — although  they  do  not  chew  tobac 
co  as  you  do.  One  who  merely  put  one  in  the 
pocket  of  his  overalls — if  he  wore  overalls — would 
be  called  very  clumsy,  indeed,  especially  if  he  had 
been  seen  to  do  it." 

Involuntarily,  he  clapped  a  hand  on  his  pocket. 
What  would  have  been  his  next  act  I  do  not  know, 


86        THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

for  at  that  moment  I  heard  a  voice  call  out  sharp 
ly,  "Halt!  villain.  Throw  up  your  hands,  or  by 
heavens  you  die!"  Turning  swiftly,  I  saw  Lafitte, 
his  pistol  barrel  rested  in  very  serviceable  fashion 
in  the  crotch  of  a  staff,  the  same  as  when  he  first 
accosted  me  on  my  stream,  glancing  along  the 
barrel  with  an  ominous  gray  eye  again  gone  three- 
cornered. 

Before  I  could  even  cry  out  to  him  his  warn 
ing  was  effective.  I  saw  my  clam  fisher  go  white 
and  put  his  hands  over  his  head,  the  while  his 
dam  ran  screaming  toward  the  tent — Jimmy 
L'Olonnois  at  her  heels,  sword  in  hand,  and  warn 
ing  her  not  to  get  a  gun,  else  her  life's  blood  would 
dye  the  strand. 

Here,  now,  was  a  pretty  pickle  for  a  sworn  ser 
vant  of  the  law  to  aid  in  making!  A  wrong  move 
might  mean  murder  done  by  these  imaginative 
youths,  and  I  no  less  than  accessory,  to  boot;  for, 
surely,  I  had  given  them  aid  and  violent  counsel 
in  this  drama  which  we  all  were  playing  so  natur 
ally,  if  not  so  nobly.  I  hastened  over  to  Lafitte 
and  called  loudly  to  L'Olonnois,  and  commanded 
Partial  to  drop  the  renewed  encounter  with  the 
clammers'  dog,  which  now,  also,  swiftly  threatened 
us.  So,  in  a  moment  or  two,  I  restored  peace. 

I  held  out  my  hand  to  the  clammer.  "I  didn't 
know  you  seen  me,"  said  he  simply;  and  placed 


WE  TAKE  MUCH  TREASURE         87 

in  my  hand  three  pearls,  either  of  them  worth 
more  than  all  I  had  paid  him,  and  one  of  them  the 
largest  and  best  I  had  ever  seen — it  is  the  pearl 
famous  as  the  "Belle  Helene,"  the  finest  ever  taken 
in  fresh  waters  in  America,  so  it  is  said  by 
Tiffany's. 

I  looked  at  him  quietly,  and  handed  him  back 
all  but  the  one  pearl.  "I  am  sorry  you  were  not 
a  better  sport,"  said  I,  "very  sorry.  Didn't  I  play 
fair  with  you?" 

"No,"  said  he.  "Some  folks  have  all  the  luck. 
You  come  along  here,  rich,  with  all  sorts  of  things, 

you  and  them  d d  kids,  and  you'd  rob  a  man 

like  me  out  of  what  little  he  can  make." 

I  was  opening  my  wallet  again.  "I  am  sorry 
to  hear  you  say  that,"  said  I,  handing  him  two 
bills  of  a  hundred  dollars  each.  "Sorry,  because 
it  has  cost  you  twenty-eight  hundred  dollars." 

"My  God,  man,  what  do  you  mean?"  he  gasped, 
even  his  fingers  slow  to  take  both  money  and  con 
tempt. 

"That  the  pearl  is  worth  to  me  that  much,  since 
I  have  purpose  for  it.  I  have  more  money  than  I 
want,  and  fewer  pearls  like  this  than  I  want.  It 
would  have  given  me  the  keenest  sort  of  pleasure 
to  give  you  and  your  mother  a  few  thousand  dol 
lars,  two  or  three,  to  set  you  up  with  a  little 
launch  and  an  outfit  enough  to  give  you  a  good 


88        THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

start — and,  perhaps,  a  good  partner.  As  it  is,  you 
are  lucky  my  pirate  brother  has  not  blown  a  hole 
through  you,  and  that  my  other  brother  has  not 
shed  the  blood  of  your  parent,  if  she  have  any. 
You  had  a  good  chance,  and  like  many  another 
man  who  isn't  good  enough  to  deserve  success, 
you  lost  it.  Do  you  know  why  you  failed?" 

"It's  the  luck,"  said  he.     "I   never  had  none." 

"No,"  said  I,  "it  is  not  that.  So  far  as  luck 
goes,  you  are  lucky  you  are  alive.  Little  do  you 
know  our  desperate  band.  Little  do  you  know 
you  have  escaped  the  wrath  of  Lafitte,  of  L'Olon- 
nois,  of  Black  Bart.  Luck!  No,  that  is  not  why 
you  failed." 

"What  then?"  he  demanded,  still  covetous,  albeit 
rueful,  too,  at  what  he  vaguely  knew  was  lost 
opportunity. 

"It  was  because  you  did  not  play  the  part  of 
a  clammer  naturally  and  nobly,"  I  replied.  "My 
friend,  I  counsel  you  to  read  Epictetus — and  while 
you  are  at  that,"  I  added,  "I  suggest  you  read  also 
that  other  classic,  the  one  known  as  The  Pirate's 
Own  Book!' 

So  saying,  since  he  stood  stupified,  and  really 
not  seeing  my  hand,  which  I  reached  out  to  him 
in  farewell,  I  called  to  Partial,  and  followed  by 
the  two  stern  and  relentless  figures,  made  our  way 
back  to  the  spot  where  the  good  ship  Sea  Rover 
lay  straining  at  her  hawser. 


TAKE  MUCH  TREASURE         89 


"What  ho!  messmates!"  I  cried.  "Fortune  has 
been  kind  to  our  bold  band  this  day.  We  have 
taken  large  booty.  Let  us  up  anchor  and  set  sail. 
Before  yon  sun  has  sunk  into  the  deep  we  shall 
be  far  away,  and  our  swift  craft  is  able  to  shake 
off  all  pursuit." 

"Whither  away,  Black  Bart,—  Captain,  I  mean!" 
said  Jean  Lafitte  (and  I  blushed  at  this  title  and 
this  hard-won  rank,  as  one  of  the  proudest  of  my 
swiftly-  folio  wing  accomplishments  in  happiness). 

"Spang!  to  the  Spanish  Main,"  was  my  reply. 

A  moment  later,  the  waves  were  rippling  mer 
rily  along  the  sides  of  the  Sea  Rover  as  she  headed 
out  boldly  into  the  high  seas. 


CHAPTER  X 

IN    WHICH    I    SHOW    MY   TRUE    COLORS 

THERE  were  many  lesser  adventures  in  which 
Lafitte,  L'Olonnois  and  I  shared  on  our  voy 
age  through  the  long  waterways  leading  down  to 
the  great  river,  but  of  these  I  make  small  mention, 
for,  in  truth,  one  boasts  little  of  one's  deeds  in 
piracy  after  the  fact,  or  of  inciting  piracy  and 
making  accessories  before  the  fact,  the  more  es 
pecially  if  such  accessories  be  small  but  blood 
thirsty  boys.  These  latter,  let  me  plead  in  extenu 
ation  of  my  own  sins,  already  were  pirates,  and 
set  upon  rapine.  For  my  own  part,  seeing  their 
resolution  to  take  green  corn  and  other  vegetables, 
aye,  even  fowls,  as  part  of  the  natural  returns  of 
their  stern  calling,  I  made  no  remonstrances,  not 
the  first  leader  unable  to  restrain  his  ruthless  band, 
but  I  eased  my  own  conscience  by  leaving — quite 
unknown  to  them, — sundry  silver  coins  in  cleft 
sticks,  prominently  displayed,  in  the  hope  that 
irate  farmers  might  find  them  when,  after  our 
departure,  they  visited  the  scenes  of  our  maraud 
ing.  And  to  such  an  extent  did  this  marauding 
obtain  that,  by  the  time  we  had  reached  the  Mis 
sissippi  River,  I  was  almost  wholly  barren  of  fur 
ther  silver  coins. 

90 


I  SHOW  MY  TRUE  COLORS         PI1 

Many  things  I  learned  as  we  voyaged;  as  that 
my  dog  Partial  would,  when  asked,  roll  over  and 
over  upon  the  ground,  or  sit  up  and  bark — things 
taught  him  by  no  man  known  in  his  history,  so 
far  as  Lafitte  could  recall  it.  And  things  I  learned 
regarding  birds  and  small  animals  of  which  my 
law  books  had  told  me  nothing.  As  to  mosquitoes, 
I  learned  that,  whereas  they  do  not  hurt  a  young 
pirate,  they  do  an  old  one;  and  I  half  resolved  to 
discontinue  my  book  regarding  them.  Perhaps  it 
was  not  of  first  importance. 

But  two  things  grew  on  me  in  conviction.  First, 
I  loved  Helena  Emory  more  and  more  each  day  of 
my  life;  and  second,  that  I  must  see  her  at  the  first 
moment  possible — in  spite  of  all  my  resolutions 
to  put  her  out  of  my  life  forever !  And,  these  two 
things  being  assured,  when  we  saw  the  rolling 
yellowish  flood  of  the  Father  of  the  Waters  at 
last  sweeping  before  us,  I  realized  that,  bound  as 
I  was  in  honor  to  hold  on  with  my  faithful  band, 
our  craft,  the  Sea  Rover — sixteen  feet  long  she 
was,  and  well  equipped  with  Long  Toms  and  deck 
cannonades — would  have  no  chance  to  overtake 
the  Belle  Helene,  fastest  yacht  on  the  Great  Lakes, 
who  might,  so  far  as  I  could  tell,  at  that  very 
moment  be  cleaving  through  the  Chicago  canal, 
to  enter  the  great  river  hundreds  of  miles  ahead 
of  us. 

Wherefore,   leaving  my  bold   mates   in  bivouac 


92        THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

one  day,  I  made  journey  to  the  nearest  town. 
There,  I  sent  certain  messages  to  anxious  parents, 
and  left  for  them  our  probable  itinerary  as  tour 
ists  traveling  by  private  conveyance.  I  could  not 
set  our  future  dates  and  ports  more  closely  to 
gether;  for,  before  I  left  town,  I  had  purchased 
a  sturdy  power  boat  of  our  own,  capable  of  doing 
her  ten  or  twelve  miles  under  her  own  petrol.  I 
was  in  no  mind  to  fall  farther  and  farther  back 
of  the  Belle  Helene  each  day;  and  I  counted  upon 
our  piratical  energy  to  keep  us  going  more  hours 
a  day  than  Cal  Davidson — curses  on  him! — would 
be  apt  to  travel. 

I  gave  orders  for  immediate  fitting  of  my  new 
craft,  and  delivery  on  the  spot;  and  within  the 
hour,  although  regarded  with  much  suspicion  by 
the  town  marshal  and  many  leading  citizens,  I 
set  out  for  our  bivouac,  with  the  aid  of  the  late 
owner  of  the  boat,  to  whom  I  gave  assurance  that 
no  evil  should  befall  him.  When  we  chugged 
along  the  shore,  and  slackened  opposite  our  camp, 
I  heard  the  stern  voice  of  Lafitte  hail  us :  "Ship 
ahoy!"  (Perhaps  he  saw  me  at  the  stern  sheets.) 

"Aye!  Aye!  mate!"  I  answered,  through  my 
cupped  hands.  "Bear  a  hand  with  our  landing 
line."  Whereat  my  hardy  band  came  running 
and  made  us  fast. 

"What  has  gone  wrong,  Black  Bart?"  demanded 


I  SHOW  MY  TRUE  COLORS          93 

L'Olonnois,  uncertain  of  my  status.  "Hast  met 
mishap  and  struck  colors?" 

"By  no  means!"  I  rejoined.  "This  is  a  prize, 
our  first  capture.  And  since  she  has  struck  her 
colors,  let  us  mount  our  own  at  her  foremast  arid 
ship  our  band  to  a  bigger  and  faster  craft." 

The  late  owner,  who  bore  the  name  of  Robin 
son,  looked  on  much  perplexed,  and,  I  think,  in 
some  apprehension,  for  he  must  have  thought  us 
dangerous,  whether  sane  or  mad. 

"Who'll  run  her?"  he  at  length  demanded  of 
me,  looking  from  me  to  my  two  associates.  Then 
forth  and  stood  Jean  Lafitte ;  and  answered  a  ques 
tion  I  confess  I  had  not  yet  myself  asked:  "Ho! 
I  guess  a  fellow  who  can  run  a  gasoline  pump  in 
a  creamery  can  handle  one  of  them  things.  So 
think  not,  fellow,  to  escape  us!" 

I  reassured  Robinson,  who  was  apparently  ready 
to  make  a  run  for  it;  and  I  explained  to  Lafitte 
and  L'Olonnois  my  plan. 

"We'll  by  no  means  discard  our  brig,  the  origi 
nal  Sea  Rover,"  said  I,  "and  we'll  tow  her  along 
as  our  tender.  But  we'll  christen  the  prize  the 
Sea  Rover  instead,  and  hoist  our  flag  over  her — 
and  paint  on  her  name  at  the  first  point  of  call  we 
make.  Now,  let  us  hasten,  for  two  thousand  miles 
of  sea  lie  before  us,  and  Robinson  is  also  five 
miles  from  home." 


94   THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

But  Robinson  became  more  and  more  alarmed 
each  moment.  He  had  my  money,  I  his  bill  of 
sale,  but  ride  back  to  town  with  us  he  would  not. 
Instead,  he  washed  his  hands  of  us  and  started 
back  afoot — to  get  the  town  marshal,  I  was  well 
convinced.  It  mattered  little  to  us;  for  once  more 
did  sturdy  Jean  Lafitte  more  than  make  good  his 
boast.  With  one  look  at  the  gasoline  tank  to  as 
sure  himself  that  all  was  well,  he  made  fast  the 
painter  of  the  old  Sea  Rover,  and  even  as  L'Olon- 
nois  with  grim  determination  planted  the  Jolly 
Rover  above  our  bows,  and  as  I  tossed  aboard  the 
cargo  of  our  former  craft,  Lafitte  cranked  her  up 
with  master  hand,  threw  in  the  gear,  and  with  a 
steady  eye  headed  her  for  midstream,  where  town 
marshals  may  not  come. 

I  looked  at  my  mates  in  admiration.  They 
could  do  things  I  could  not  do,  and  they  faced 
the  future  with  no  trace  of  hestitation.  I  caught 
from  them  a  part  of  this  resolution  I  so  long  had 
lacked.  I  added  this  to  my  determination  to  see 
Helena  Emory  once  more  and  soon  as  wind  and 
wave  would  allow.  So  that,  believe  me,  the  blood 
rose  quickly  in  my  veins  as  I  saw  now  we  had 
faster  travel  ahead  of  us. 

"Square  away  the  main  braces,  my  hearties!" 
I  called.  "Break  out  the  spinnaker  and  set  the 
jibs.  It's  a  wet  sheet  and  a  flowing  sea,  and  let 
any  stop  us  at  their  peril!" 


I  SHOW  MY  TRUE  COLORS          95 

"Aye!  Aye!  Sir/'  came  the  response  of  Jean  La- 
fitte  in  a  voice  almost  bass,  and  "Aye!  Aye!  Sir," 
piped  the  blue-eyed  Lieutenant  L'Olonnois.  The 
stanch  craft  leaped  ahead,  wallowing  in  cross 
seas  till  we  reached  the  mid-current  of  the  Mis 
sissippi's  heavy  flood,  then  riding  and  rising  game 
ly  as  she  met  wave  after  wave  that  came  up-stream 
with  the  head  wind.  The  eyes  of  Lafitte  gleamed. 
L'Olonnois,  hand  over  eyes,  stood  in  our  bows. 
"Four  bells,  and  all's  well!"  he  intoned  in  a  vigor 
ous  voice. 

It  was  my  own  heart  made  answer,  in  the  sweet 
est  challenge  it  ever  had  given  to  the  world :  "All's 
well!"  And  far  ahead  I,  too,  peered  across  the 
wave,  seeking  to  make  out  the  hull  of  fleeing  craft 
that  bore  treasure  I  was  resolved  should  yet  be 
mine. 

"More  sail,  Officer!"  I  called  to  Jean  Lafitte. 
He  grinned  in  answer. 

"You're  in  a  hurry,  Black  Bart.  What  makes 
you?"  And  even  L'Olonnois  turned  a  searching 
gaze  upon  me. 

"Then  I'll  show  you  my  true  colors,"  said  I. 
"I  am  more  careless  of  taking  treasure  than  of 
capturing  a  certain  maiden  who  flees  before  us 
yonder  on  a  swift  craft,  speedier  than  our  own. 
Lay  me  alongside  of  her,  this  week,  next  month, 
this  winter,  and  my  share  of  the  other  booty  shall 
be  yours!" 


96        THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"Black  Bart,"  said  Lafitte,  "I  knew  something 
was  sort  of  botherin'  you.  So,  it's  you  for  the  fair 
captive,  huh?" 


CHAPTER  XI 

IN    WHICH    MY    PLOT    THICKENS 

WE  sped  on  now  steadily,  day  by  delightful  day, 
and  ever  arose  in  my  soul  new  wonders 
at  the  joy  of  life  itself,  things  that  had  escaped 
me  in  my  plodding  business  life.  Now  and  again, 
I  took  from  my  pocket  the  little  volume  which 
always  went  with  me  on  the  stream  when  I  angled, 
and  which  I  confess  sometimes  charmed  me  away 
from  the  stream  to  some  shaded  nook  where  I 
might  read  old  Omar  undisturbed — as  now  I 
might,  with  L'Olonnois  at  the  masthead  and  La- 
fitte  at  the  wheel.  And  always  these  wise,  reck 
less,  joyous  pages  of  the  old  philosopher  spelled 
to  me  "Haste!  Haste!" 

"Whether  at  Naishapur  or  Babylon, 
Whether  the  Cup  with  sweet  or  bitter  run, 
The  Wine  of  Life  keeps  oozing  drop  by  drop. 
The  Leaves  of  Life  keep  falling  one  by  one." 

"Come,  fill  the  Cup,  and  in  the  fire  of  Spring 
Your  Winter-garment  of  Repentance  fling: 
The  Bird  of  Time  has  but  a  little  way 
To  flutter — and  the  Bird  is  on  the  Wing!" 

What  truth,  what  absolute  truth  of  the  red-hot 
97 


98       THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

spur  lay  in  those  words,  lesson  direst  to  me!  What 
had  my  life  been,  plodding  in  books  to  learn  to 
keep  by  forms  of  law  the  booty  my  father  had 
stolen?  Away  with  it,  then,  for  now  the  Bird 
of  Time  was  on  the  wing!  Let  me  forget  the 
wasted  years,  spent  in  adding  dollar  to  dollar; 
for  what  could  the  highest  pile  of  dollars  mean 
to  a  man  who  had  missed  what  Lafitte  and  L'Olon- 
nois  and  Omar  had  in  their  teaching?  The  booty 
of  the  world,  the  pearls  of  price,  the  casks  of  the 
Wine  of  Life,  are  his  only  who  takes  them.  They 
can  not  be  bought,  can  not  be  given.  "Oh,  haste! 
Jean  Lafitte,  for  my  new  knowledge  indeed  eats 
at  my  soul.  Hasten,  for  the  Bird  of  Life  is  on 
the  wing,  L'Olonnois."  So  I  spoke  to  them;  and 
they,  feeling  it  all  a  part  of  the  play,  gravely  an 
swered  in  kind,  to  what  end  that  any  who  sought 
to  stay  Black  Bart  and  his  crew  did  so  at  peril 
of  their  blood. 

We  came,  I  knew  not  after  how  many  days  for 
gotten  in  detail — after  passing,  each  avoided  as  a 
pestilence,  many  cities  prosperous  in  commerce — 
alongside  the  river  port  of  the  city  of  St.  Louis, 
crowded  with  motley  and  misfit  shipping  of  one 
sort  or  other,  where  our  craft  might  moor  with 
out  fear  of  exciting  any  suspicion,  in  spite  of  our 
ominous  name;  for  I  had  the  precaution  to  lower 
our  flag  of  the  skull  and  cross-bones. 

I  sought  out  the  man  most  apt  to  know  of  any 


MY   PLOT   THICKENS  99 

considerable  vessels  docking  there,  and  made  in 
quiry  for  any  power  yacht  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  feet  long,  white  and  black  ventilators, 
white  hull  with  blue  line,  flying  the  burgee  Belle 
Helenc,  or  some  such  name.  None  could  advise 
me  for  a  time,  and  I  looked  in  vain,  as  I  had  in 
every  dock  in  six  hundred  miles,  for  the  trim  hull 
of  my  yacht.  At  last  one  old  mariner,  in  rubber 
boots,  himself  skipper  of  a  house-boat  south-bound 
for  a  winter's  trapping,  admitted  that  he  had  seen 
such  a  craft  three  days  before! 

"Did  she  dock?"  I  demanded. 

"Sure  she  did,  and  lay  over  night.  I  remember 
it  well  enough,  for  I  saw  her  tie  up;  and  that 
evening  her  owner  went  ashore  and  up-town,  and 
with  him  his  bride,  I  reckon — handsomest  girl  in 
all  the  town.  They  must  have  been  married,  for 
he  was  lookin'  like  he  owned  her.  That  was 
lemme  see,  two  days  ago  or  maybe  four.  They 
came  aboard  her  next  morning,  all  three — there 
was  a  old  party  along,  girl's  mother  likely — around 
eleven  o'clock,  and  in  a  little  while  cast  off  and 
went  on  down-river.  As  fine  a  boat  as  ever  made 
the  river  run — still  as  a  mouse  she  was,  but  quick 
as  a  cat,  and  around  Ste.  Genevieve,  I  reckon, 
before  I  got  back  to  my  own  scow  after  helping 
them  off  here.  No  wonder  her  owner  was  proud. 
He  stood  on  the  quarter-deck  like  a  lord.  Why 
Shouldn't  he,  ownin'  a  boat  an'  a  girl  like  that?" 


100      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"He  doesn't  own  either!"   I  retorted    hotly. 

"Why,  how  do  you  know  he  don't?"  demanded 
my  sea-going  man. 

"Who   should  know,   if   not  myself?" 

"Sho!     You  talk  like  you  owned  her!" 

"I  do  own  her!" 

"It  looks  like  it.  Which  do  you  mean — her  the 
yacht,  or  her  the  girl?" 

"Both — no!  That  is,  well  at  least  I  own  the 
boat." 

"That  may  all  be,  or  it  all  mayn't,"  he  replied, 
openly  scoffing;  "at  least  so  far's  the  boat  goes. 
Anybody  kin  buy  anything  that  has  the  price.  But 
as  to  the  girl,  you'd  have  to  prove  it,  if  I  was  him. 
And  if  he  didn't  look  like  he  owned  her,  or  was 
goin'  to,  I'll  eat  your  own  gas  tank  there,  an'  them 
two  kids  in  it  fer  good  measure." 

Of  course  I  could  not  argue  or  explain,  and  there 
fore  turned  a\vay.  But  all  the  answer  of  my  soul 
came  from  the  lips  of  L'Olonnois,  who,  propped 
up  against  the  cockpit  combing,  was  reading  aloud 
to  Lafitte  from  The  Pirate's  Own  Book  as  I  ap 
proached.  "Hah!  my  good  man!"  exclaimed  the 
pirate  chieftain  as  he  looked  at  his  blade,  "unhand 
the  maid,  or  by  Heaven!  your  life's  blood  shall 
dye  the  deck  where  you  stand!" 

"Ah,  ha!  Cal  Davidson,"  said  I  to  myself 
through  my  set  teeth;  "little  do  you  think  that 


MY   PLOT  THICKENS        :    .-101 

you  are  discovered  in  your  sins,  and  little  do  you 
know  that  the  avenger  is  on  your  track.  But  have 
a  care,  for  Black  Bart  and  his  band  pursues  you!" 
And,  seeing  that  we  had  now  laid  in  abundance 
of  ship's  stores,  including  four  drums  of  gasoline; 
and  since  the  trail  of  Cal  Davidson  was,  at  least, 
no  wider  than  the  banks  of  the  river  down  which 
he  had  fled,  it  looked  ill  enough  for  the  chances 
of  that  robber  when  the  stanch  Sea  Rover,  her 
flag  again  aloft  and  promising  no  quarter,  chugged 
out  into  midstream  and  took  up  a  pursuit  which 
was  to  know  no  faltering  until  at  last  I  had  learned 
the  truth  about  the  fair  captive  of  the  Belle 
Helene.  For  indeed,  indeed,  Omar,  and  you,  too, 
stout  Lafitte  and  hardy  L'Olonnois,  the  Bird  of 
Life  was  on  the  wing. 


CHAPTER  XII 

IN    WHICH    WE    CLOSE    WITH    THE    ENEMY 

AL  Davidson  took  on  five  drums  of  petrol  at 
Cairo,  and  a  like  amount  of  champagne  at 
Memphis,  and  no  man  may  tell  what  other  supplies 
at  this  or  that  other  point  along  the  river.  He  evi 
dently  suspected  no  pursuit,  or,  if  he  did,  was  a 
swaggering  varlet  enough,  for,  according  to  all 
accounts  which  we  could  get,  he  loitered  and 
lingered  along,  altogether  at  his  leisure,  with  due 
attention  to  social  matters  at  every  port;  for  if 
he  had  not  a  wife  at  every  port,  at  least,  he  had 
an  acquaintance  of  business  or  social  sort,  so  that, 
one  might  be  sure,  there  were  few  dull  moments 
for  him  and  his  party,  whether  afloat  or  ashore. 
He  must  have  attended  a  dinner-party  and  two 
theaters  at  Memphis,  and  have  sailed  only  after 
making  three  thousand  dollars  out  of  a  combina 
tion  in  champagne  present  and  cotton  future, 
whose  disgusting  details  I  did  not  seek  to  learn. 
Trust  Davidson  to  make  money,  and  to  make  the 
most  of  life  also  as  he  went  along.  He 
always  had  the  best  of  everything;  and  surely  now 
he  had,  for  the  leisurely,  ease-seeking  Belle  Helene, 
not  actuated  by  any  vast  motive  beyond  that  of 

102      ' 


WE  CLOSE  WITH  THE  ENEMY     103 

the  bee  and  the  honey  flower,  slipped  on  down 
and  ahead  with  perfect  ease,  while  we,  grimy, 
slow,  determined,  plowed  on  in  her  wake  losing 
miles  each  hour  the  graceful  Belle  Helene  chose 
to  show  us  her  light  disdainful  heels,  serenely 
indifferent  because  wholly  ignorant  of  our  exist 
ence. 

But  we  held  to  the  chase  as  true  pirates,  not 
loitering  at  any  port,  and — since  now  I,  also,  had 
learned  something  of  the  intricacies  of  our  engine, 
and  could  take  a  trick  while  the  others  slept — 
running  twice  the  hours  daily  the  haughty  yacht 
would  deign  to  log.  I  knew  that  Cal  Davidson 
would  stop  to  shoot  and  to  visit,  and  knew  that 
he  could,  by  no  human  means,  be  induced  to  pass 
any  telegraph  point  where  the  daily  standing  of 
the  baseball  clubs  could  be  learned — he  counted 
that  day  lost  in  which  he  did  not  learn  the  scores. 
As  for  myself,  I  have  never  been  able  to  under 
stand  how  any  grown  man  or  any  one  ungrown 
can  take  any  interest  whatever  in  the  deeds  of 
hired  ball-playing  Hessians,  who  have  back  of  them 
neither  patriotism  nor  even  a  municipal  pride.  But, 
for  once,  I  was  joyed  that  the  organized  business 
sense  of  a  few  men  had  put  an  otherwise  able  citi 
zen  under  tribute,  because  now,  though  the  Belle 
Helene  must  pause  at  least  daily,  the  Sea  Rover 
need  do  no  such  thing. 


104      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

Nor  did  we.  We  were  hot  on  the  trail  of  the 
enemy  as  he  flew  south  along  the  Chickasha  Bluffs, 
hot  as  he  left  Memphis  behind,  and  taking  the 
widening  waters  which  now  wandered  through 
low  forest  lands,  reached  out  for  the  next  city  of 
size,  historic  Vicksburg  on  her  seventy  hills.  And 
hot  and  eager,  more  than  ever,  were  we  when, 
chugging  around  the  head  of  that  vast  arm  of 
the  river,  where  it  curves  like  a  boy  of  some 
southern  sea,  with  its  heights  rising  beyond  and 
afar,  we  saw  what  caused  me  to  exclaim  aloud, 
"At  last !  There  she  lies,  my  hearties !" 

I  pointed  on  ahead.  To  my  eyes,  who  had  de 
signed  her,  every  line  of  that  long,  graceful,  white 
hull  was  familiar.  The  jaunty  rake  of  her  air- 
shafts,  like  stacks  of  a  liner,  the  sweep  of  her  clean 
freeboard  up  to  her  shining  rail,  the  ease  of  her 
bows,  the  graceful  boldness  of  her  overhang — all 
were  familiar  enough  to  me.  She  was  my  boat, 
and  once  I  was  wont  to  enjoy  her.  And  on  board 
her  now  was  the  woman  who  had  taken  away  from 
me  all  desire  to  keep  a  yacht  in  commission,  to 
keep  open  a  house  in  town,  or  an  office,  or  to  fre 
quent  my  clubs,  or  to  meet  my  friends.  Was  she 
there,  this  woman;  and  was  she  still? — but  I  dared 
not  ask  that  question. 

"Full  speed  ahead,  Jean!"  I  called.  "That's  the 
Belle  Helene!  Yonder  lies  the  enemy!" 


WE  CLOSE  WITH  THE  ENEMY     105 

And  then  the  inevitable  happened.  Perhaps  it 
was  too  much  gas,  perhaps  too  much  lubricant, 
perhaps  a  spark  plug  was  carrying  too  much  car 
bon.  At  any  rate,  the  engine  of  the  Sea  Rover 
chose  that  time  to  chug  and  cease  to  revolve! 

It  was  more  than  a  mile  to  the  foot  of  that 
vast  curve;  and  even  as  I  leaped  at  the  grimy 
oily  motor,  I  saw  a  white  dingey  with  blue  trim 
make  out  from  the  wharf  and  leisurely  pull  along 
side  the  landing  stair  of  the  yacht.  It  held  two 
figures  only,  that  of  the  deck-hand  who  rowed, 
and  that  of  the  large  white-flanneled  man  who 
now  disembarked  from  the  dingey  and  went 
aboard  the  yacht.  He  was  waving  a  paper  over 
his  head,  so  that  I  inferred  the  Giants  must  have 
won  that  day.  And  then,  as  we  tugged  and  hur 
ried  with  our  arbitrary  motor,  I  saw  the  Belle 
Plelene,  with  a  slight  smiling  salute  to  friends 
ashore,  swing  daintily  about  and  head  out  and 
down  the  river!  The  faint  and  infallible  rhythm  of 
her  perfect  enginery  came  throbbing  to  us  across 
the  water  ...  I  stood  up.  I  hailed,  I  waved,  I 
shouted,  and  I  fear  even  cursed.  Perhaps  they 
thought  some  drunken  fisherman  was  disporting 
himself;  but  certainly,  a  few  moments  later,  we 
were  rocking  on  the  roll  of  the  river,  and  the  yacht 
was  out  of  sight  and  sound  around  the  next  great 
bend. 


106      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"It  shall  go  hard  but  we  overhaul  yon  varlet 
yet,"  said  L'Olonnois  grimly. 

"Aye,"  assented  Lafitte;  "we've  busted  a  plug, 
an'  he  has  showed  us  a  clean  pair  of  heels,  but 
it's  a  long  chase  if  the  Sea  Rover  does  not  over 
haul  him.  We'll  have  to  overhaul  our  engine 
first,  though,"  he  added  thoughtfully. 

But  the  overhauling  of  our  engine  meant  a 
voyage  under  sweeps  to  a  precarious  landing 
among  divers  packets,  house-boats  and  launches,  on 
Vicksburg  waterside,  and  a  later  visit  to  a  special 
ist  in  diseases  of  the  carburetor;  so  that,  when  at 
last  the  Sea  Rover  was  ready  for  the  sea  again, 
her  chase  might  have  been  a  hundred  miles  ahead 
an  she  liked. 

"Gee!"  exclaimed  Jean  Lafitte,  as  we  were  about 
to  cast  off.  "Looky  here,  de  Cubs  licked  de  G'ints 
five  to  one  to-day."  He  pointed  to  figures  in  a 
newspaper  which  he  had  obtained.  So  then  it 
might  have  been  excitement  of  rage,  and  not  of 
joy,  which  had  animated  Cal  Davidson  when  he 
went  aboard. 

"Never  mind  then,"  said  I,  "for  that  gives  us 
a  day's  start." 

"How  do  you  mean?"  demanded  Jean. 

"It  means  that  yonder  varlet  will  not  leave  Nat 
chez  to-morrow  until  late  evening,  after  the  wires 
are  in  from  the  northern  ball  games,"  I  replied, 


WE  CLOSE  WITH  THE  ENEMY     107 

"Of  course  he'll  stop  there  next."  I  felt  now  that 
the  Lord  had,  by  implanting  this  insane  lust  of 
petty  baseball  news  in  his  soul,  delivered  my  enemy 
into  my  hand. 

Now  I  wist  not  how  or  at  what  dignified  speed 
the  Belle  Helene  swept  on  down  that  mighty 
river  through  the  rich  southern  lands ;  nor  do  I 
scarce  half  remember  the  painstaking  persistent 
run  we  made  with  the  grimy  Sea  Rover  in  pur 
suit,  hour  after  hour,  night  or  day.  We  had  no 
licensed  pilot  or  licensed  engineer,  we  bore  no 
lights  as  prescribed  by  law,  and  heeded  no  chan 
nels  as  prescribed  by  government  engineers. 
Pirates,  indeed,  we  might  have  been  as  we  plowed 
on  down  in  the  wake  of  our  quarry,  along  the 
ancient  highway  famous  in  fast  packet  days.  We 
cared  nothing  for  law,  order,  custom,  conventions, 
precedents — the  very  things  which  had  enslaved  me 
all  my  life  I  now  cast  aside.  Through  bend 
after  bend,  along  willow-lined  flats  and  bluffs 
crowned  with  stately,  moss-draped  live-oaks,  we 
swept  on  and  on;  and  always  I  strained  my  eyes 
to  see,  my  ears  to  hear,  on  ahead  some  sign  of 
the  Belle  Helene;  always  strained  my  heart  for 
some  sign  from  her.  Why,  even  I  looked  in  the 
water  for  some  bottle  bearing  a  memory  from  yon 
captive  maid  to  me.  Captive?  Why,  certainly 
she  must  be  captive;  and  certainly  she  must  know 


108      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

that  I,  Black  Bart  the  Avenger,  was  upon  the 
trail. 

We  made  the  pleasant  city  of  Natchez  in  the 
evening  of  the  sweetest  day  on  which,  as  I  thought, 
the  sun  had  ever  set.  Her  lofty  hills — for  here 
the  great  eastern  fence  of  hills  which  bound  the 
Vermont  Delta  on  the  eastward  sweep  in  to  close 
the  foot  of  the  Delta's  V,  and  run  sheer  to  the 
river's  brink — rose  upon  our  left.  The  low  tree- 
covered  lands  on  the  Louisiana  side  lay  at  our 
right,  and  over  them  hung,  center  of  a  most  radi 
ant  evening  curtain,  painted  in  a  thousand  colors 
by  the  mighty  brush  of  nature,  the  round  red  orb 
of  day,  now  sinking  to  his  rest. 

I  did  not  begrudge  the  sun  his  rest  that  day. 
For  now,  just  at  the  edge  of  this  beautiful  picture 
there  hung,  at  the  dry  point  where  the  old  keel 
boats  used  to  land  at  old  Natchez,  under  the  hill 
where  the  pirates  of  those  days  sought  relaxation 
from  labors  in  the  joys  of  combat  or  of  wine,  I 
caught  sight  of  the  long,  low,  graceful  hull  of 
the  Belle  Helene! 

"Avast!  Jean  Lafitte,"  I  cried.  "Shorten  all 
sail,  and  bear  across,  west-by-west." 

"Aye!  Aye!  Sir,"  came  the  response  from  my 
bold  crew. 

"Why  don't  we  run  in  and  board  her?"  de 
manded  L'Olonnois.  However,  seeing  that  I  had 


WE  CLOSE  WITH  THE  ENEMY     109 


laid  hold  of  the  steering  line  where  I  sat,  and  was 
heading  the  Sea  Rover  across  the  Louisiana  side, 
away  from  the  city's  water-front,  he  subsided. 

"We'll  cast  anchor  yonder  where  the  holding 
ground  is  good,"  I  explained.  "To-night  we'll  send 
off  the  long  boat  with  a  boarding  party.  And 
marry!"  I  added,  "it  shall  go  hard,  but  we'll  hold 
yon  varlet  to  his  accounting!" 


CHAPTER  XIII 

IN    WHICH    WE    BOARD    THE    ENEMY 

SLOWLY  the  vast  painting  of  the  sky  softened 
and  faded  until,  at  length,  its  edges  blended 
with  the  shadows  of  the  forest.  There  came  into 
relief  against  the  sky-line  the  etched  outlines  of 
the  trees  crowning  the  bluff  on  the  eastern  side 
of  the  great  river.  The  oncoming  darkness  prom 
ised  safety  for  a  craft  unimportant  as  ours  as 
we  now  lay  in  the  shadows  of  the  western  shore. 
Meantime,  as  well  as  the  failing  light  allowed,  we 
let  nothing  on  board  the  Belle  Helene  go  unob 
served. 

The  yacht  lay — with  an  audacity  of  carelessness 
which  I  did  not  like  to  note — hardly  inside  the 
edge  of  the  regular  shipping  channel,  but  swung 
securely  and  gracefully  at  her  cable,  held  by  an 
anchor  which  I  had  devised  myself,  heavy  enough 
for  twice  her  tonnage.  On  the  deck  I  could  see 
an  occasional  figure,  but  though  I  plied  my  binoc 
ulars  carefully,  not  the  figure  which  I  sought.  A 
man  leaned  against  the  rail,  idly,  smoking,  but 
this  I  made  out  to  be  the  engineer,  Williams,  come 
up  to  get  the  evening  air.  •  Billy,  the  deck-hand, 
John,  my  Chinese  cook,  and  Peterson,  the  boat- 

110 


WE  BOARD  THE  ENEMY  111 

master,  were  at  the  time  out  of  sight,  as  well  as 
Cal  Davidson,  who  had  her  under  charter. 

We  lay  thus,  separated  by  some  distance  of  the 
river's  flood,  each  craft  at  anchor,  only  one  ob 
served  by  the  other.  But  to  my  impatient  gaze 
matters  seemed  strangely  slow  on  board  the  Belle 
Helene.  I  was  relieved  when  at  last  the  rather 
portly  but  well  groomed  figure  of  my  friend  David 
son  appeared  on  deck.  He  made  his  way  aft 
along  the  rail,  and  I  could  see  him  bend  over  and 
call  down  the  companionway  of  the  after  state 
rooms.  Then,  an  instant  later,  he  was  joined  on 
the  after  deck  by  two  ladies.  The  sight  of  one 
of  these  caused  my  heart  to  bound. 

They  stood  for  a  moment,  no  more  than  dimly 
outlined,  but  I  could  see  them  well  enough.  The 
older  lady,  with  the  scarf  about  her  head,  was 
Aunt  Lucinda.  The  slighter  figure  in  white  and 
wearing  no  head  covering,  was  she,  Helena  Emory ! 
It  was  Helena!  It  was  Helena! 

She  turned  toward  Davidson.  I  could  hear 
across  the  water  the  sound  of  laughter.  A  sud 
den  feeling  of  anger  came  into  my  soul.  I  shifted 
my  position  in  the  Sea  Rover,  and  stepped  on  Par- 
tial's  tail,  causing  him  to  give  a  sharp  bark  and  to 
come  and  lick  my  hand  in  swift  repentance.  I 
feared  for  the  time  that  his  sound  might  attract 
attention  to  our  boat,  which,  if  examined  closely, 


112      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

might  seem  a  trifle  suspicious.  True  pirates,  and 
oblivious  of  all  law,  we  had  not  yet  hoisted  our 
riding  lights,  though  for  all  I  know  our  black  flag 
still  was  flying. 

The  three  figures  passed  forward  along  the 
deck  slowly  and  disappeared  down  the  front  com 
panion-stair  which  led  to  the  cozy  dining-room.  I 
could  see  them  all  sitting  there,  about  my  own 
table,  using  the  very  silver  and  linen  which  I  had 
had  made  for  the  Belle  Helene,  attended  by  John, 
my  Chinese  cook  and  factotum,  whom  I  had  es 
pecially  imported,  selected  from  among  a  thousand 
other  Chinese  by  myself  at  Hankow.  I  knew  that 
Davidson  would  have  champagne  and  a  dozen 
other  wines  in  abundance,  everything  the  market 
offered.  A  pleasant  party,  this  of  three,  which  was 
seating  itself  at  my  table  over  yonder,  while  I,  in 
a  grimy,  dingy,  little  tub  lay  looking  at  them,  help 
less  in  the  gloom !  Ah,  villain,  shrewd  enough  you 
were  when  you  planned  this  trip  for  Aunt 
Lucinda's  health!  Well  enough  you  knew  that 
of  all  places  in  the  world  none  equals  a  well 
equipped  private  yacht  for  the  courting  of  a  maid. 
Why,  if  it  be  propinquity  that  does  it,  what  chance 
had  any  man  on  earth  against  this  man,  enjoying 
the  privilege  of  propinquity  of  propinquities,  and 
adding  thereto  the  weapons  of  every  courtesy,  every 
little  pleasure  a  man  may  show  a  maid?  Trust 


WE  BOARD  THE  ENEMY  113 

Cal  Davidson  for  all  that!  I  well-nigh  gnashed 
my  teeth  in  anger. 

I  scarce  know  how  the  time  passed,  until  at  last 
I  saw  them,  in  the  illumination  of  the  deck  lights, 
at  length  come  on  deck  again.  They  stood  looking 
out  over  the  river,  or  toward  the  lights  of  Natchez- 
under-the-Hill,  and  at  length  idly  walked  aft  once 
more.  The  two  ladies  seated  themselves  on  deck 
chairs  under  the  awning  of  the  rear  deck.  I  could 
not  see  them  now,  but  heard  the  tinkle  and  throb 
of  a  guitar  come  across  the  water,  touched  lightly 
with  long  pauses,  as  under  some  suspended  melody 
not  yet  offered  in  fulness.  Now  and  again  I  could 
hear  a  word  or  so,  the  rather  deep  voice  of  Aunt 
Lucinda,  the  bass  tones  of  Davidson,  but  strain 
my  ears  as  I  might,  I  could  not  hear  the  sound  of 
that  other  voice,  low  and  sweet,  an  excellent  thing 
in  woman. 

At  length  the  little  party  seemed  to  be  breaking 
up.  I  saw  Davidson,  half  in  shadow,  outlined 
by  the  deck  lights  as  he  rose,  and  passed  forward. 
Then  I  heard  the  falls  run,  and  a  soft  splash  as 
the  dingey  was  launched  overside.  Cal  Davidson 
was  going  ashore.  He  could  no  longer  resist  his 
anxiety  over  the  baseball  score!  A  moment  later 
I  heard  the  dip  of  the  oars.  Some  one  turned 
on  the  search-light,  so  that  a  wide  shaft  of  light 
swung  along  the  foot  of  Natchez  Hill,  toward 


114     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

which  the  dingey  was  headed.  The  shadows  on 
the  deck  of  the  Belle  Helene  seemed  darker  now, 
by  contrast,  but  I  believed  that  Williams,  the  en 
gineer,  now  had  left  the  rail  on  which  he  was  lean 
ing  over  his  folded  arms. 

I  turned  now  to  my  wondering  companions,  who, 
seeing  me  so  much  interested,  had  remained  for  a 
long  time  practically  silent.  Fall  now,  curtain  of 
romance,  for  we  be  but  three  pirates  here!  Up 
anchor,  then,  and  back  across  the  stream  toward 
our  quarry  quickly,  rny  bold  mates,  for  now  there 
lies  at  hand  a  dangerous  work  of  the  boarding 
party ! 

Thus  I  might  have  spoken  aloud;  for,  at  least, 
I  hardly  needed  to  do  more  than  motion  to  Jean 
Lafitte,  and  as  we  resumed  our  softly  chugging 
progress,  having  broken  out  our  shallow  anchorage, 
he  steered  the  boat  to  the  motion  of  my  hand.  We 
passed  close  alongside  the  Belle  Helene  and  I  ex 
amined  her  keenly  as  we  did  so.  Then,  apparent 
ly  unnoticed,  we  dropped  down-stream  a  bit,  and 
found  another  anchorage. 

"Clear  away  the  long  boat  for  the  boarding 
party/'  I  now  whispered  hoarsely.  I  spoke  to 
companions  now  in  full  character.  Belted  and 
armed,  Lafitte  and  L'Olonnois  rose  ready  for  any 
bold  emprise,  each  with  red  "kerchief  pulled  about 
his  brow.  And  now,  to  my  interest,  I  observed  that 


WE  BOARD  THE  ENEMY  115 

each  had  resumed  the  black  mask  which  they  had 
worn  earlier  in  our  long  voyage,  sign  of  the 
desperate  character  of  each  wearer. 

"Whither  away,  Black  Bart?"  demanded  L'Olon- 
nois  fiercely.  "Lead,  and  we  follow." 

"You  had  better  put  on  a  mask,  Black  Bart," 
added  Jean  Lafitte,  and  handed  me  a  spare  one  of 
his  own  manufacture.  I  hesitated,  but  then,  see 
ing  that  part  of  my  success  lay  in  our  all  remain 
ing  somewhat  piratical  of  character,  I  hastily  slipped 
it  above  my  eyes,  and  pulled  down  my  hat  brim. 
"She  will  not  know  me  now,"  said  I  to  myself. 
And  truly  enough  we  seemed  desperate  folk,  fierce 
as  any  who  ever  lay  in  keel  boat  off  the  foot  of 
Natchez  bluff,  even  in  the  bloodiest  times  of  Mike 
Fink  the  Keel-boatman  or  of  Murrell  the  southern 
bandit  king. 

Partial,  without  invitation,  climbed  into  the  skiff 
with  us.  "Cast  off,"  I  ordered.  "Oars!"  And 
my  young  men — whom  by  this  time  I  had  trained 
in  many  ways  nautical— obeyed  in  good  seaman 
fashion.  A  moment  later  we  lay  almost  under  the 
rail  of  the  Belle  Helene.  No  one  hailed  us.  We 
seemed  taken  only  for  some  passing  skiff. 

"Listen!"  I  whispered,  "there  is  risk  in  what 
we  are  going  to  do." 

I  looked  at  my  blue-eyed  pirate,  L'Olonnois,  who 
sat  closer  to  me.  On  his  face  was  $imple  and  com- 


116      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

plete  happiness.  At  last,  his  adventure  had  come 
to  him  and  he  was  meeting  it  like  a  man. 

"What  is  it,  Black  Bart?"  I  heard  Jean  Lafitte 
whisper  hoarsely. 

"We  are  to  board  and  take  yonder  ship,"  I  re 
plied  softly.  "If  we  are  to  succeed,  you  must  do 
precisely  as  I  tell  you.  Leave  the  main  risk  to  me, 
that  of  the  law.  I'll  take  possession  on  the  ground 
that  she  is  my  boat,  that  her  charter  money  is  not 
paid,  and  that  yonder  varlet  is  making  away  with 
her  out  of  the  country.  She  holds  much  treasure, 
let  me  assure  you  of  that,  my  men — the  greatest 
treasure  that  ever  came  down  this  river. 

"Now,  listen.  You,  Lafitte,  as  soon  as  we  get 
aboard,  are  to  run  and  close  the  hatch  of  the  en 
gine-room.  That  will  pen  Williams,  the  engineer, 
below,  where  he  can  make  no  resistance.  As  soon 
as  that  is  done,  run  to  those  doors  forward  which 
lead  down  to  the  dining-room  companionway  and 
shut  those  doors  and  latch  them.  That  will  take 
care  of  John,  the  cook.  The  deck-hand  is  away 
with  the  varlet.  That  leaves  only  the  shipmaster 
and  the  women  captives. 

"While  you  are  busy  in  this  way,  Lafitte,  I  will 
hunt  for  Peterson,  the  master,  who  very  likely 
is  sitting  quiet  on  the  forward  deck  somewhere. 
The  main  danger  lies  with  hfm.  While  I  attend  to 
him,  you,  L'Olonnois,  run  aft.  You  will  find  there 


WE  BOARD  THE  ENEMY  117 

two  ladies,  one  very  old  and  ugly,  the  other  very 
young  and  very  beautiful.  See  that  they  do  not 
escape,  and  hold  them  there  until  I  come  aft  to 
meet  you. 

"All  this  must  go  through  as  we  have  planned. 
Once  the  maiden  is  in  our  power,  and  the  ship  our 
own,  we  will  head  down-stream  for  the  open  sea. 
Are  you  with  me,  my  bold  mates?" 

"Lead  on,  Black  Bart !"  I  heard  L'Olonnois  hiss ; 
and  I  saw  Jean  Lafitte  tighten  his  belt. 

"All  ready,  then,"  said  I.  "I'll  go  forward  and 
make  fast  the  painter  when  we  reach  the  landing 
stair.  Follow  me  quickly.  Leave  Partial  in  the 
boat.  Gently  now." 

Swiftly  but  silently,  we  swept  in  under  the  lee 
of  the  Belle  Helene.  The  landing  ladder  had  not 
been  drawn  up  after  Davidson's  departure,  so  that 
the  boarding  party  had  easy  work  ahead. 

I  sprang  upon  the  deck,  my  footfalls  deadened 
by  the  rubber  matting  which  lay  along  all  the 
decks.  I  turned.  Above  the  rail  behind  me  rose 
the  face  of  Lafitte,  masked.  The  long  blade  of  a 
Malay  kris  was  in  his  teeth.  In  one  hand  he  held  a 
pistol,  using  the  other  as  he  climbed.  He  scraped 
out  of  his  belt  as  he  came  aboard  I  know  not  how 
many  pistols  which  fell  into  the  water,  but  still, 
God  wot!  had  abundant  remaining.  Nor  did 
L'Olonnois,  close  behind  him,  his  Samurai  sword 


118      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

between  his  teeth,  present  a  spectacle,  less  awesome. 
I  breathed  a  sudden  prayer  that  these  might  meet 
with  no  resistance,  else  I  could  only  fear  the  direst 
consequences ! 

I  made  a  quick  motion  with  my  hand,  even  as 
I  sprang  forward  in  search  of  Peterson.  The  dull 
thud  of  the  engine-room  hatch,  an  instant  later, 
assured  me  that  Lafitte  had  performed  the  most 
important  part  of  the  work  assigned  to  him.  For 
sooth,  ere  long,  he  had  done  all  his  work  as  laid 
out  for  him.  It  chanced  that,  as  he  sprang  to  the 
doors  of  the  forward  saloon,  he  met  John,  the 
Chinaman.  Reaching  for  him  with  one  hand,  he 
closed  the  doors  with  the  other,  with  such  prompt 
ness  and  precision  that  the  cue  of  John  was  caught 
in  the  door  and  he  was  imprisoned  below,  where  he 
howled  in  much  grief  and  perturbation,  unable  to 
escape  without  the  sacrifice  of  his  cue. 

Meantime,  I  found  Peterson,  my  old  skipper, 
much  as  I  had  expected.  He  was  a  middle-aged, 
placid,  well-poised  man,  a  pessimist  in  speech,  but 
a  bold  man  in  soul.  He  was  fond  of  an  evening 
pipe,  and  he  sat  now  smoking  and  looking  down 
the  illuminated  lane  made  by  our  search-light.  He 
turned  toward  me,  a  sudden  curiosity  upon  his 
face  as  he  saw  that  I  was  a  stranger  on  the  boat, 
though  not  a  stranger  to  himself. 

"Sir — Mr.  Harry — "  he  began,  half  rising. 


WE  BOARD  THE  ENEMY  119 

I  reached  out  my  left  hand  and  caught  him  by 
the  shoulder.  In  my  right  hand  I  held  a  pistol, 
and  this,  somewhat  gaily,  I  waved  before  Peter 
son's  face.  "Halt,"  said  I,  "or  I  will  blow  you 
out  of  the  water" — a  phrase  which  I  had  found 
sufficient  in  earlier  circumstances. 

The  old  man  smiled  pleasantly  and  in  mock 
fashion  put  up  both  his  hands.  Had  it  been  any 
one  else,  he  probably  would  have  knocked  me 
down.  "All.  right,  Mr.  Harry,"  said  he,  "you  will 
have  your  joke.  But  tell  me,  what's  up?  We 
weren't  expecting  you  here.  Mr.  Davidson's  gone 
ashore." 

"Just  a  lark,  Peterson,"  said  I.  I  had  slipped 
down  the  mask  so  that  he  could  see  me  plainly. 
"By  George,  sir!"  said  he,  "I  am  glad  to  see  you, 
back  on  the  old  boat  again.  Where  have  you 
been?" 

"Just  come  on  board,  Peterson,"  said  I.  "I  am 
going  to  run  her  now  myself. 

"Money  not  paid  over,  Peterson,"  said  I.  It 
stretched  my  conscience  a  bit,  although  the  truth 
was  I  had  Davidson's  uncashed  check  in  my 
pocket  at  the  time. 

"We've  all  had  our  pay  regular,"  he  rejoined. 
"Why,  what's  wrong?" 

"But  I  haven't  had  mine,  Peterson,"  said  I. 
"When  the  charter  money  isn't  paid  and  an  owner 


120      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

has  reason  to  suppose  that  his  boat  is  going  to 
be  run  out  of  the  country,  he  has  to  act  promptly, 
you  understand.  So  I  have  taken  my  own  way. 
The  Belle  Helene  is  in  my  charge  now,  and  you 
will  report  to  me  for  orders." 

"What's  that  squalling?"  demanded  Peterson, 
who  was  a  trifle  hard  of  hearing. 

"Something  seems  wrong  with  John,  the  cook," 
I  answered.  "I  only  hope  he  has  not  made  any 
resistance  to  my  men,  who,  I  promise  you,  are  the 
most  desperate  lot  that  ever  cut  a  throat.  For 
instance,  they  have  locked  Williams  down  in  the 
engine-room.  Go  over  there,  Peterson,  and  quiet 
him.  But  tell  him  that,  if  he  shows  a  head  above 
the  hatch,  he  is  apt  to  have  his  brains  blown  out. 
Keep  quiet  now,  all  of  you,  until  I  get  this  thing 
in  hand." 

"But  the  boat's  under  charter  to  Mr.  Davidson," 
demurred  Peterson. 

"Charter  or  no  charter,  Peterson,"  said  I,  "I'm 
in  command  here,  and  it's  no  time  to  argue." 

At  this  time  we  heard  cries  of  a  feminine  sort 
from  the  after  deck,  so  I  knew  that  L'Olonnois,  as 
well,  had  performed  the  duty  assigned  to  him. 

"Stay  here,  Peterson,"  said  I.  "It's  all  right,  and 
I'll  take  care  of  you  in  every  regard.  Wait  a 
moment." 

I  hurried  aft.     L'Olonnois  stood  in  the  shadow, 


'Who  are  you?"  she  demanded 


WE  BOARD  THE  ENEMY  121 

his  back  against  the  saloon  door,  facing  his  two 
prisoners.  I  also  faced  them  now.  The  deck 
lights  gave  ample  illumination,  so  that  I  could  see 
her — Helena — face  to  face  and  fairly.  She  turned 
to  me;  but  now  I  had  pulled  up  my  mask  again, 
and  she  could  have  no  more  than  a  suspicion  as 
to  my  identity. 

"Who  are  you?"  she  demanded.  "What  right 
have  you  here?" 

For  half  a  moment  I  paused.  Then  I  felt  a 
sense  of  relief  as  I  heard  at  my  elbow  the  piping 
voice  of  L'Olonnois  in  reply. 

"Lady,"  said  he,  standing  with  folded  arms, 
his  bared  blade  gripped  in  his  good  right  hand  and 
showing  at  a  short  up-cast  angle,  "it  ill  beseems 
a  gentleman  to  give  pain  to  one  so  fair,  but  pry- 
thee  have  a  care,  for,  by  heavens !  resistance  is  use 
less  here." 


CHAPTER  XIV 

IN    WHICH    IS   ABOUNDING   TROUBLE 

I  LOOKED  at  Helena  Emory,  glad  that  she  did 
not  at  first  sight  recognize  the  intruder  who 
had  elicited  her  wrath, — for  she  seemed  almost 
more  angry  than  perturbed,  such  being  her  nature. 
I  thought  she  had  never  been  half  so  beautiful  as 
now,  never  more  alive,  more  vibrantly  and  dynam 
ically  feminine  than  now.  She  had  not  even  a 
scarf  about  her  head,  so  that  all  its  Greek  clarity 
of  line,  all  its  tight-curling  dark  hair — almost 
breaking  into  four  ringlets,  two  at  each  white 
temple — were  distinct  to  me  as  I  looked  at  her, 
even  in  the  half  light.  Her  face,  with  its  wondrous 
dark  eyes,  was  full  toward  me.  meeting  this  danger 
for  such  as  it  might  be;  so  that,  again,  I  saw  the 
sweet  full  oval  of  her  brow  and  cheek  and  chin, 
with  just  these  two  dark  incipient  curls  above.  I 
could  not  see  the  twin  dark  tendrils  at  the  white 
nape  of  her  neck,  but  I  knew  they  were  there,  as 
beautiful  as  ever.  Her  mouth  was  always  the 
sweetest  God  ever  gave  any  woman— and  I  repeat, 
I  have  seen  and  studied  all  the  great  portraits,  and 
found  none  so  wholly  good  as  that  of  Helena,  done 
by  Sargent  in  his  happiest  vein.  Now  the  red 

122 


ABOUNDING  TROUBLE  123 

bow  of  her  lips  parted,  as  she  stood,  one  slender 
hand  across  her  bosom,  panting,  but  not  in  the  least 
afraid,  or,  at  least,  meeting  her  fear  boldly,  as 
one  high-born  should. 

She  was  all  in  white,  with  not  the  slightest  jewel 
or  ornament  of  any  kind.  I  saw  that  even  the 
buckle  at  her  waist  was  covered  in  white.  Her 
boots  and  her  hair  were  dark;  for  Helena  knew 
the  real  art  of  dressing.  She  stood  fairly  between 
me  and  the  deck  light,  so  that  all  her  white  figure 
was  frank  in  its  gentle  curves;  erect  now,  and 
bravely  drawn  to  all  her  five  feet  five,  so  that  she 
might  meet  my  gaze — albeit  through  a  mask — as 
fully  as  a  lady  should  when  she  has  met  affront. 

I  always  loved  Helena,  always,  from  the  first 
time  I  met  her.  I  had  bidden  adieu  to  life  when, 
after  many  efforts  to  have  her  see  me  as  I  saw 
her,  I  turned  away  to  the  long  hard  endeavor  to 
forget  her.  But  now  I  saw  my  attempts  had  all 
been  in  vain.  If  absence  had  made  my  heart  more 
fond,  the  presence  of  her  made  it  more  poignantly, 
more  imperiously,  fonder  than  before.  My  whole 
body,  my  whole  soul,  unified,  arose.  I  stretched 
out  my  arms,  craving,  demanding.  "Helena!"  I 
cried. 

My  voice  was  hoarse.  Perhaps  she  did  not  know 
me,  even  yet.  Her  answer  was  a  long  clear  call 
for  help. 


124     THE  UADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"Ahoy!"  she  sang.     "On  shore,  there— Help !" 

Her  call  was  a  signal  for  present  trouble.  Par 
tial,  my  dog,  abandoned  in  the  long  boat,  began 
barking  furiously.  There  came  an  answering  hail 
which  assured  me  that  yon  varlet,  Davidson,  had 
heard.  I  was  conscious  of  the  sound  of  a  scuffle 
somewhere  forward.  Below,  at  my  side,  Aunt 
Lucinda  gave  voice  to  a  long  shrill  wail  of  terror. 
John,  my  Chinaman,  his  cue  still  held  fast  in  the 
jammed  edges  of  the  door,  chimed  in  dismally. 
Midships  I  heard  a  muffled  knocking  at  Williams', 
the  engineer's,  hatch. 

I  forgot  I  was  standing  masked,  with  a  naked 
weapon  in  my  hand.  I  dropped  my  mask,  dropped 
my  weapon,  and  turned  quickly  toward  Helena. 

"Be  silent!"  I  commanded  her. 

She  stood  for  one  instant,  her  hands  at  her 
cheeks.  Then,  "Ahoy!"  rang  out  her  voice  once 
more  in  sheer  disobedience,  and  "You!"  she  said 
to  me,  furious. 

"Yes,  I,"  was  my  answer,  and  my  own  fury 
was  now  as  cold  as  hers.  "Go  below,"  I  ordered 
her.  "I  am  in  command  of  this  boat.  Quick!" 

I  had  never  spoken  thus  to  her  in  all  my  life, 
but  almost  to  my  surprise  she  changed  now.  As 
though  half  in  doubt,  she  turned  toward  the  stair 
leading  down  to  the  ladies'  cabin  where  Aunt  Lu 
cinda  was  shrieking  in  terror. 


ABOUNDING  TROUBLE  125 

"Guard  the  door,"  I  called  to  L'Olonnois  as  I 
turned  away.  I  heard  it  slam  shut  and  the  click 
of  the  lock  told  me  my  prisoners  were  safe,  so  I 
hastened  forward. 

"Good  Lord,  Mr.  Harry !"  cried  my  skipper, 
Peterson,  when  he  saw  me.  "Come  here,  take  this 
little  devil — away — I'm  afraid  he'll  knife  me." 

I  hurried  to  him  for  he  struggled  in  the  dark 
with  Jean  Lafitte. 

"To  the  rescue,  Black  Bart !"  called  Jean  Lafitte. 
"Catch  his  other  arm.  I've  got  this  one,  and  if 
he  moves,  by  Heaven  I'll  run  him  through." 

"Run  me  through,  you  varmint — what  do  you 
mean?"  roared  Peterson.  "Ain't  it  enough  you 
pull  a  gun  on  me  and  try  to  poke  out  my  eye,  and 
twist  off  my  arm,  without  sticking  me  with  that 
bread-slicer  you  got?  Mr.  Harry — for  Heaven's 
sake " 

"There  now,  Jean  Lafitte,"  I  said,  "enough.  He 
has  begged  for  quarter." 

"No,  I  ha'int,"  asserted  Peterson  venomously. 
"I'll  the  spank  the  life  outen  him  if  I  ever  get 
the  chance — "  I  raised  a  hand. 

"Enough  of  all  this  noise,"  I  said.  "I  am  in 
charge  now,  Peterson.  Go  to  the  wheel.  Break 
out  the  anchor  and  get  under  way.  At  once,  man! 
I  have  no  time  to  argue." 

Peterson  had  never  in  his  life  heard  me  speak 


126      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

in  this  way  before,  but  now,  for  what  reason  I  do 
not  know — perhaps  from  force  of  habit,  perhaps 
because  he  knew  I  was  owner  of  the  boat,  per 
haps  in  awe  of  the  naked  kris  of  Jean  Lafitte,  still 
presented  menacingly  at  his  abdomen — the  old 
skipper  obeyed. 

I  heard  the  faint  jangle  of  bells  in  the  engine- 
room  below.  Obviously,  Williams,  the  engineer, 
was  responsive  to  his  sense  of  duty  and  routine. 
The  power  came  pulsing  through  the  veins  of  the 
Belle  Helene  and  I  heard  her  screws  revolve.  I, 
myself,  threw  in  the  donkey  winch  as  she  forged 
ahead,  and  so  broke  out  the  anchor.  It  still  swung, 
clogging  her  bows  as  she  turned  in  the  current. 
The  bells  again  jangled  as  she  got  more  speed  and 
as  the  anchor  came  home.  Our  search-light  swept 
a  wide  arc  along  the  foot  of  Natchez  Hill,  as  our 
bows  circled  about  and  headed  down  the  great 
river.  And  now  we  picked  in  full  view,  hardly 
sixty  fathoms  distant,  the  dingey,  pulled  furious 
ly  toward  us.  My  friend,  the  varlet  Cal  David 
son,  half  stood  in  the  stern  of  the  stubby  craft  and 
waved  at  us  an  excited  hand. 

"Ahoy  there,  Peterson!"  he  cried.  "Stop!  Hold 
on  there !  Wait !  Where  are  you  going  there !" 

Peterson  turned  toward  me  an  inquiring  gaze, 
but  I  only  pointed  a  hand  down-stream,  and  he 
obeyed  me !  I  reached  my  hand  to  the  cord  and 


ABOUNDING  TROUBLE  127 

gave  Peterson,  Davidson,  Natchez  and  all  the 
world,  the  salute  of  a  long  and  vibrant  whistle  of 
defiance.  It  came  back  to  us  in  echoes  from  the 
giant  bluffs,  swept  across  the  lowlands  on  the 
opposite  side. 

"Full  speed  ahead,  Peterson,"  said  I  quietly. 

"Where  are  we  going,  Mr.  Harry?"  he  de 
manded  anxiously. 

"I  don't  know,"  said  I.  "It  all  depends — maybe 
around  the  world.  I  don't  know  and  I  don't  care." 

"I'm  scared  about  this — it  don't  look  right. 
What's  come  into  you,  Mr.  Harry?"  asked  the 
old  man  solicitously. 

"Nothing,  Peterson,"  said  I,  "except  that  the 
bird  of  time  is  on  the  wing.  I  am  a  pirate,  Peter 
son " 

"I  never  knew  you  so  far  gone  in  drink  before, 
Mr.  Harry,"  said  he,  as  he  threw  over  the  wheel 
to  pick  up  the  first  starboard  channel  light. 

"Yes,  I  have  been  drinking,  Peterson,"  said  I. 
"I  have  been  drinking  the  wine  of  life.  It  oozes 
drop  by  drop,  and  is  all,  too  soon,  gone  if  we  de 
lay.  Full  speed  ahead,  Peterson.  I  am  in  com 
mand." 

"Jean!"  I  called  to  my  able  lieutenant.  "Reach 
over  into  the  long  boat  and  bring  Partial  on  board. 
He  is  my  friend.  And  bring  also  our  flag.  Run 
it  aloft  above  our  prize." 


128     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"Aye,  aye,  Sir,"  came  the  reply  of  Jean  Lafitte. 
And  a  few  moments  later  our  long  boat  was  rid 
ing  astern  more  easily.  Jean  Lafitte  on  his  return 
busied  himself  with  our  burgee.  And  at  that 
moment,  Partial,  overjoyed  at  also  having  a  hand 
in  these  affairs,  barked  joyously  at  his  discovery 
of  the  neglected  end  of  the  cook's  cue  projecting 
through  the  hinges  of  the  door.  On  this  he  laid 
hold  cheerfully,  worrying  it  until  poor  John 
shrieked  anew  in  terror;  and  until  I  freed  him; 
and  ordered  tea. 

I  next  went  over  to  the  hatches  of  the  engine- 
room,  and  having  opened  them,  bent  over  to  speak 
to  Williams,  the  engineer. 

"It's  all  right,  Williams,"  said  I.  "I  am  going 
to  take  her  over  now  and  run  her  perhaps  to  the 
Gulf.  We  hadn't  time  to  tell  you  at  first.  There 
has  been  a  legal  difficulty.  Peterson  is  on  deck,  of 
course." 

"All  right,  Mr.  Harry,"  said  Williams,  who 
recognized  me  as  he  leaned  out  from  his  levers  to 
look  up  through  the  open  hatch.  "At  first  I  didn't 
know  what  in  hell  was  up.  It  sounded  like  a 
mutiny " 

"It  was  a  mutiny,  Williams,"  said  I,  "and  I  am 
the  head  mutineer.  But  you're  sure  of  your  pay, 
so  let  her  go." 

He  did  let  her  go,  smoothly  and  brilliantly,  so 


ABOUNDING  TROUBLE  129 

that  before  long  she  was  at  her  top  speed,  around 
fifteen  knots  an  hour.  I  was  familiar  with  every 
detail  of  the  Belle  Helene,  and  now  I  looked  in 
both  the  generating  plant  and  the  storage  batteries, 
so  that  four  thousand  candle-power  of  electric 
light  blazed  over  her  from  bow  to  fantail.  The 
steady  purr  of  the  Belle  Helene's  double  sixties — 
engines  I  had  had  made  under  my  own  care — came 
to  me  with  a  soothing  rhythm  where  I  stood  near  by 
the  wheel.  Her  search-light  made  a  vast  illumina 
tion  far  ahead.  Brilliant  enough  must  have  seemed 
the  passing  spectacle  of  our  stanch  little  ship  to 
any  observer,  as  we  now  swept  on  down  the  tawny 
flood  of  the  great  river.  Who  would  deny  me 
the  feeling  of  exultation  which  came  to  me?  Was 
I  not  captor  and  captain  of  my  own  ship? 

I  turned  to  meet  L'Olonnois,  my  blue-eyed  pirate. 
He  stood  at  my  side  as  one  glorified.  The  full 
swing  of  romance  had  him,  the  full  illusion  of  this, 
— imagination's  most  ardent  desire — now  gripped 
him  fully.  He  was  no  boy,  but  a  human  being  pos 
sessed  of  all  his  dreams.  His  second  self,  once 
oppressed,  now  free,  stood  before  me  wholly  satis 
fied.  I  needed  not  to  ask  whether  he  had  been 
faithful  to  his  trust. 

"I  locked  the  door  on  'em,  Black  Bart,"  said  he, 
"and  bade  them  cease  a  idle  remonstrancing.  'Little 
do  you  know/  say  I  to  them,  'that  Black  Bart  the 


130      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

Avenger  is  now  on  the  trail.  Let  any  oppose  him 
at  their  peril/  says  I  to  them.  She  give  me  candy, 
the  fair  captive  did,  but  I  spurned  her  bribe.  'Be 
ware/  says  I  to  her.  'Little  do  you  know  what  lies 
before  you/  " 


CHAPTER  XV 

IN    WHICH    IS    CONVERSATION    WITH    THE    CAPTIVE 
MAIDEN 

JEAN  LAFITTE,  who  had  so  well  executed  the 
work  assigned  him  in  the  boarding  party's  plans, 
proved  himself  neither  inefficient  nor  unobservant. 
He  approached  me  now,  with  a  salute,  which  prob 
ably  he  copied  from  Peterson. 

"How  now,   good   leftenant?"   said   I. 

"If  you  please,  Black  Bart,"  he  began,  "how  are 
we  headed,  and  what  are  our  plans?" 

"Our  course  on  this  river,  Jean  Lafitte,  will  box 
the  compass,  indeed  box  an  entire  box  of  com 
passes,  for  no  river  is  more  winding.  Yet  in  time 
we  shall  reach  its  end,  no  doubt,  since  others  have." 

"And  what  about  our  good  ship,  the  Sea  Rover, 
that  we  have  left  behind?" 

"By  Jove!  Jean  Lafitte,"  I  exclaimed,  "that  is, 
indeed,  a  true  word.  What,  indeed?  We  left  her 
riding  at  anchor  just  off  the  channel  edge,  and  so 
far  as  I  recall,  she  had  not  her  lights  up,  in  accord 
ance  with  the  law." 

"Shall  we  put  about  and  take  her  in  tow,  Black 
Bart?" 

"By  no  means.  That  is  the  very  last  of  my  in 
tentions." 

131 


132      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"What'll  become  of  her,  then?" 

"That  is  no  concern  of  mine." 

"But  nobody'll  know  whose  she  is,  and  nobody 
can  tell  what  may  happen  to  her " 

"Quite  true.  She  may  be  stolen,  or  sunk.  Why 
not?" 

"But  she  cost  a  lot  of  money." 

"On  the  contrary,  she  cost  only  twelve  hundred 
dollars." 

"Twelve  hundred  dollars!"  Jean  drew  a  long 
deep  breath.  "I  didn't  know  anybody  had  that 
much  money  in  the  world.  Besides,  look  what  you 
spent  for  them  pearls.  Ain't  you  poor,  then,  Black 
Bart?" 

"On  the  contrary,  I  have  that  much  more  money 
left,  very  likely.  And  I  do  not,  to  say  truth, 
care  a  jot,  a  rap  or  a  stiver,  what  becomes  of 
the  derelict  Sea  Rover  now.  Have  we  not  taken 
a  better  ship  for  our  own?" 

"Yes,  but  suppose  yon  varlet  boards  the  Sea 
Rover,  an'  chases  us  the  way  we  done  him?" 

"Again,  by  Jove!  Jean  Lafitte;  an  idea.  But 
suppose  he  does?  Much  good  it  will  do  him.  For, 
look  you,  good  lef tenant,  the  Belle  Helene  will  not 
stop  to  send  any  man  ashore  for  baseball  scores. 
Such  was  not  the  practise  of  the  old  buccaneers, 
nor  shall  it  be  ours;  whereas,  no  matter  what  the 
haste,  yon  varlet  could  in  nowise  refrain  from 
that  same  folly  which  hath  lost  him  his  ship  to  us. 


THE  CAPTIVE  MAIDEN  133 

Each  hour  will  only  widen  the  gap  between  us. 
Let  him  take  our  tub  if  he  likes,  and  do  as  he  likes, 
for  'twill  be  a  long  day  before  he  picks  up  our 
masts  over  his  horizon,  Jean  Lafitte." 

"Aye,  aye,  Sir!"  rejoined  my  lieutenant,  and 
withdrew.  I  could  see  he  was  not  overjoyed  at  the 
abandonment  of  our  earlier  ship  that  had  brought 
us  so  far  in  safety.  All  this  luxury  of  the  Belle 
Helene  had  the  effect  of  oppressing  a  pirate  who 
so  short  a  time  ago  had  started  out  on  the  high 
seas  in  a  sixteen  foot  yawl,  and  who  had  seen  that 
yawl,  in  a  manner  of  speaking,  grown  into  a 
schooner,  the  schooner  comparatively  grown  into 
a  full-fledged  four-decker,  richly  fitted  as  any  ship 
of  the  royal  navy. 

But  these,  all,  were  lesser  things  to  me,  for  on 
my  soul  was  a  more  insistent  concern.  I  turned 
now,  seeing  that  Peterson,  wholly  reconciled  to 
the  new  order  of  affairs,  was  speeding  the  boat 
onward  as  though  I  never  had  left  her;  so  that  I 
knew  she  was  safe  in  his  hands,  although  I  set 
Lafitte  to  watch  him.  Followed  by  my  faithful 
friend  Partial,  who  expressed  every  evidence  of 
having  enjoyed  a  most  interesting  evening,  I  pre 
sently  made  my  way  aft. 

As  I  approached  the  door  of  the  after-cabin 
suite,  occupied  by  the  ladies,  I  made  my  presence 
known  at  first  discreetly,  then  more  pointedly,  and, 
at  length,  by  a  knocking  on  the  door. 


134     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"Below,  there!"  I  called,  boldly  as  I  could; 
for  eager  as  I  was  to  see  Helena  Emory,  there 
were  certain  things  about  the  interview  which  might 
be  difficult.  Lovers  who  have  parted,  finally,  ap 
proach  each  other,  even  by  accident,  thereafter, 
with  a  certain  reluctance.  (Lovers,  did  I  say? 
Nay,  never  had  she  said  she  loved  me.  She  had 
only  said  she  wished  she  did,  wished  she  could.) 

No  answer  came  at  first.  Then,  "Who  is  it?" 
in  the  voice  of  Aunt  Lucinda. 

"It  is  I,  Mr.  Henry—"  but  I  paused :  "—It  is 
I,  Black  Bart  the  Avenger,"  I  concluded.  "May 
I  come  in?" 

Silently  the  door  opened,  and  I  entered  the  little 
reception-room  which  lay  between  the  two  state 
rooms  of  this  cabin.  Before  me  stood  Helena! 
And  now  I  was  close  to  her,  I  could  see  the  little 
cuds  at  her  temples,  could  see  the  double  curves 
of  her  lips,  the  color  in  her  cheek.  Ah!  she  was 
the  same,  the  same!  I  loved  her — I  loved  her  not 
the  same,  but  more  and  more,  more! 

She  held  her  peace;  and  all  I  could  do  was  to 
stand  and  stare  and  then  hold  out  my  hand.  She 
took  it  formally,  though  her  color  heightened.  I 
saluted  Aunt  Lucinda  also,  who  glared  at  me. 
"How  do  you  do?"  I  said  to  them  both,  with 
much  originality  and  daring. 

"Black   Bart!"    snorted   Aunt   Lucinda.    ''Black 


THE  CAPTIVE  MAIDEN  135 

Bart!  It  might  be,  from  these  goings  on.  What 
does  it  all  mean?" 

"It  means,  my  dear  Mrs.  Daniver,"  said  I,  "that 
I  have  taken  charge  of  the  boat  myself." 

"But  how?"  demanded  Helena.  "We  did  not 
hear  you  were  coming.  And  I  don't  understand. 
Why,  that  rascally  little  nephew  of  mine,  in  the 
mask,  frightened  auntie  nearly  to  death.  And 
he  said  the  most  extraordinary  things! 

"Where  is  Mr.  Davidson?"  she  added.  "He 
didn't  tell  us  a  word  of  this." 

"He  didn't  know  a  word  of  it  himself,"  I 
answered.  "Let  me  tell  you,  no  self-respecting 
pirate — and  as  you  see,  I  am  a  pirate — is  in  the 
habit  of  telling  his  plans  in  advance." 

"A  pirate!" 

I  bowed  politely.  "At  your  service.  Black  Bart 
— my  visiting  cards  are  mislaid,  but  I  intend  or 
dering  some  new  ones.  The  ship's  cook,  John, 
will  soon  be  here  with  tea.  These  events  may  have 
been  wearying.  Meantime,  allow  me  to  present 
my  friend  Partial." 

Partial  certainly  understood  human  speech.  He 
now  approached  Helena  slowly  and  stood  look 
ing  up  into  her  face  in  adoration.  Then,  without 
any  command,  he  lay  down  deliberately  and  rolled 
over;  sat  up,  barked;  and  so,  having  done  all  his 
repertory  for  her  whom  he  now — as  had  his  master 


136      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

before  him — loved  at  first  sight,  he  stood  again  and 
worshiped. 

''Nice  doggie !"  said  Helena  courteously. 

"Have  a  care,  Helena!"  said  I.  "Love  my  dog, 
love  me!  And  all  the  world  loves  Partial." 

The  color  heightened  in  her  cheeks.  I  had  never 
spoken  so  boldly  to  her  before,  but  had  rather  dealt 
in  argument  than  in  assertion;  which  I,  later,  was 
to  learn  is  no  way  to  make  love  to  any  woman. 

"When  do  we  get  back  to  Natchez?"  she  de 
manded. 

"We  do  not  get  back  to  Natchez." 

"Oh?  Then  I  suppose  Mr.  Davidson  picks  us 
up  at  Baton  Rouge?" 

"Yon  varlet,"  said  I,  "does  not  pick  us  up  at 
Baton  Rouge." 

"New  Orleans?" 

"Or  at  New  Orleans — unless  he  is  luckier  than 
I  ever  knew  even  Cal  to  be." 

"Whatever  do  you  mean?"  inquired  Aunt  Lu- 
cinda  in  tones  ominously  deep. 

"That  the  Belle  Helene  is  much  faster  than  the 
tug  we  left  behind  at  Natchez,  even  did  he  find  it. 
He  will  have  hard  work  to  catch  us." 

"To  catch  us?" 

"Yes,  Helena,  to  catch  us.  Of  course  he'll  fol 
low  in  some  way.  I  have,  ail  the  way  from  above 
Dubuque.  Why  should  not  he?" 


THE  CAPTIVE  MAIDEN  137 

The  ladies  looked  from  me  to  each  other,  doubt 
ing  my  sanity,  perhaps. 

"I  don't  just  understand  all  this,"  began  Helena. 
"But  since  we  travel  only  as  we  like,  and  only  with 
guests  whom  we  invite  or  who  are  invited  by  the 
boat's  owner,  I  shall  ask  you  to  put  us  ashore." 

"On  a  sand-bar,  Helena?  Among  the  alliga 
tors?" 

"Of  course  I  mean  at  the  nearest  town." 

"There  is  none  where  we  are  going,  my  dear 
Miss  Emory.  Little  do  you  know  what  lies  before 
you!  Black  Bart  heads  for  the  open  sea.  Let  yon 
varlet  follow  at  his  peril.  Believe  me,  'twill  cost 
him  a  very  considerable  amount  of  gasoline." 

"What  right  have  you  on  this  boat?"  she  de 
manded  fiercely. 

"The  right  of  any  pirate." 

"Why  do  you  intrude — how  dare  you — at  least, 
I  don't  understand " 

"I  have  taken  this  ship,  Helena,"  said  I,  "because 
it  carries  treasure — more  than  you  know  of,  more 
than  I  dreamed.  My  father  was  a  pirate,  I  am 
well  assured  by  the  public  prints.  So  am  I.  'Tis 
in  the  blood.  But  do  not  anger  me.  Rather,  have 
a  cup  of  tea."  John,  my  cook,  was  now  at  the 
door  with  the  tray. 

"Thank  you,"  rejoined  Helena  icily.  "It  would 
hardly  be  courteous  to  Mr.  Davidson — to  use  his 


138      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

servants  and  his  table  in  this  way  in  his  absence. 
Besides " 

"Besides,  I  recalled  that  your  Aunt  Luanda's 
neuralgia  is  always  benefited  by  a  glass  or  so 
of  ninety-three  at  about  ten  thirty  of  the  evening. 
John!" 

"Lessah !" 

"Go  to  the  left-hand  locker  in  B;  and  bring  me 
a  bottle  of  the  ninety-three.  I  think  you  will  find 
that  better  than  this  absurd  German  champagne 
which  I  see  yon  varlet  has  been  offering  you,  my 
dear  Mrs.  Daniver.  But — excuse  me " 

Helena  looked  up,  innocently. 

" — A  moment  before  there  were  six  empty 
bottles  on  the  table  there.  And  I  saw  you  writing. 
How  many  have  you  thrown  overboard  through 
the  port-hole?  " 

"I  didn't  know  you  were  so  observant/'  replied 
Helena  demurely.  "But  only  three." 

"It  is  not  enough,"  said  I.  "Go  on,  and  write 
your  other  messages  for  succor.  Use  each  bottle, 
and  we  shall  have  more  emptied  for  you,  if  you 
like.  You  shall  have  oil  bottles,  vinegar  bottles, 
water  bottles,  wine  bottles,  all  you  like.  Yon 
varlet  might  run  across  one,  floating,  it  is  true. 
I  hope  he  will.  Methinks  'twould  bid  him  speed. 
But  all  in  vain  would  be  your  appeal,  for  swift 
must  be  the  craft  that  can  come  up  with  Black 


THE  CAPTIVE  MAIDEN  139 

Bart  now.  And  desperate,  indeed,  must  be  the 
man  would  dispute  his  right  to  tread  these  decks." 

"I  hope  you  are  enjoying  yourself,"  said  Helena 
scornfully.  "Don't  be  silly." 

"Will  you  have  tea,  Helena!"  I  asked. 

"Poor,  dear  Mr.  Davidson!"  sniffed  Aunt  Lu- 
cinda,  taking  a  glance  out  the  port  into  the  black 
night.  "I  wonder  where  he  is,  and  what  he  will 
say." 

"I  can  tell  you  what  he  will  say,  my  dear  Mrs. 
Daniver,"  said  I;  "but  I  would  rather  not." 

"Well,  I'll  tell  you  what  /  say,"  snorted  Aunt 
Lucinda.  "I  think  this  joke  has  gone  far  enough." 

"It  is  no  joke,  madam.  I  was  never  so  des 
perately  in  earnest  in  all  my  life." 

"Then  put  us  ashore  at  Baton  Rouge." 

"I  can  not.     I  shall  not." 

"What  do  you  mean?  Do  you  know  what  this 
looks  like,  the  way  you  are  acting,  running  off  with 
Mr.  Davidson's  yacht,  and  this " 

"Yes,  madam?" 

"Why,  it's  robbery,  and  it's,  it's,  why  it's  ab 
duction,  too.  You  ought  to  know  the  law." 

"I  do  know  the  law.  It  is  piracy.  Have  we 
not  told  you  that  resistance  would  be  worse  than 
useless?  Haven't  I  told  you  I've  captured  this 
ship?  Little  do  you  know  the  fate  that  lies  be 
fore  you,  madam,  at  the  hands  of  my  ruthless 


140     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

men  if  I  should  prove  unable  to  restrain  them! 
And  have  a  care  not  to  offend  Black  Bart  the 
Avenger,  himself!  If  you  do,  Aunt  Lucinda,  he 
may  cut  off  your  evening  champagne." 

I  heard  a  sudden  suppressed  sound,  wondrous 
like  a  giggle;  but  when  I  turned,  Helena  was  sit 
ting  there  as  sober  as  Portia,  albeit  I  thought  her 
eyes  suspiciously  bright. 

"Well,"  said  she,  at  length,  "we  can't  sit  here 
all  night  and  talk  about  it,  and  I've  used  up  all  my 
note-paper  and  bottles.  I'll  tell  you  what  I  sug 
gest,  since  you  have  seen  fit  to  intrude  on  two 
women  in  this  way.  We  will  hold  a  parley." 

"When?" 

"To-morrow." 

"At  what  hour?" 

"After  breakfast." 

"Why  not  at  breakfast?" 

"Because  we  shall  eat  alone,  here, — auntie  and 
I — in  our  cabin." 

"Very  well  then,  if  it  seems  you  are  so  bitter 
against  the  new  commander  of  the  ship  that  you 
will  not  sit  at  the  captain's  table — as  we  did  the 
second  time  we  went  to  Europe  together,  we  three 
— don't  you  remember,  Helena?" 

"Never — at  your  table,  sir !"  said  Helena  Emory, 
her  voice  like  a  stab.  And  When  I  bethought  me 
what  that  had  meant  before  now,  what  it  would 
mean  all  my  life,  if  this  woman  might  never  sit 


THE  CAPTIVE  MAIDEN  141 

at  board  of  mine,  never  eat  the  fruit  of  my  bow 
and  spear,  never  share  with  me  the  bread  of  life, 
for  one  instant  I  felt  the  cold  thrust  of  fate's 
steel  once  more  in  my  bowels.  But  the  next 
instant  a  new  manner  of  feeling  took  its  place,  an 
emotion  I  never  had  felt  toward  her  before — 
anger,  rage! 

"It  is  well,"  said  I,  pulling  together  the  best  I 
could.  "And  now,  by  my  halidom!  or  by  George! 
or  by  anything!  you  shall  be  taken  at  your  word. 
You  breakfast  here.  Be  glad  if  it  is  more  than 
bread  and  water — until  you  learn  a  better  way  of 
speech  with  me." 

Again  I  saw  that  same  sudden  change  on  her 
face,  surprise,  almost  fright;  and  I  swear  she 
shrank  from  me  as  though  in  terror,  her  hand 
plucking  at  Aunt  Luanda's  sleeve;  whereas,  all 
Aunt  Lucinda  could  do  was  to  pluck  at  her 
niece's  sleeve  in  turn. 

"As  to  the  parley,  then,"  said  I,  pulling,  by  mis 
take,  my  mask  from  my  pocket  instead  of  my  ker 
chief,  "we  shall  hold  it,  to-morrow,  at  what  time 
and  in  what  place  I  please.  It  ill  beseems  a  gen 
tleman  to  pain  one  so  fair,  as  we  may  again  re 
mark;  but  by  heaven!  Helena,  no  resistance!" 

"Wait!  What  do  you  really  mean?"  She  raised 
a  hand.  "I've  told  you  I  just  can't  understand 
all  this.  I  always  thought  you  were  a — a — gen 
tleman." 


142      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"A  much  misused  word,"  was  my  answer.  "You 
never  understood  me  at  all.  I  am  not  a  gentleman. 
I'm  a  poor,  miserable,  unhappy,  drifting,  aimless 
and  useless  failure — at  least,  I  was,  until  I  resolved 
upon  this  way  to  recoup  my  fortunes,  and  went  in 
for  pirating.  What  chance  has  a  man  who  has 
lost  his  fortune  in  the  game  to-day — what  chance 
with  a  woman?  You  ask  me,  who  am  I?  I  am 
a  pirate.  You  ask  what  I  intend  to  do?  What 
pirate  can  answer  that?  It  all  depends." 

"On  what?" 

"On  you!"  I  answered  furiously.  "What  right 
had  you  to  ruin  me,  to  throw  me  over " 

She  turned  a  frightened  glance  to  Aunt  Lucinda, 
whom  I  had  entirely  forgotten.  It  was  my  turn 
to  blush.  To  hide  my  confusion  I  drew  on  my 
mask  as  I  bowed. 

I  met  John  coming  down  with  the  ninety-three. 
As  he  returned  on  deck  a  moment  later,  I  pushed 
shut  the  doors  and  sprung  the  outside  latches;  so 
that  those  within  now  were  prisoners,  indeed. 
And  then  I  stood  looking  up  at  the  stars,  slowly 
beginning  to  see  why  God  made  the  world. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

IN    WHICH    IS    FURTHER    PARLEY    WITH    THE    CAP 
TIVE    MAIDEN 

CAL  Davidson's  taste  in  neckwear  was  a  trifle 
vivid  as  compared  with  my  own,  yet  I  rather 
liked  his  shirts,  and  I  found  a  morning  waistcoat  of 
his  which  I  could  classify  as  possible;  beside  which 
I  obtained  from  John  the  cook  a  suit  of  flannels  I 
had  given  him  four  years  ago,  and  which  he  was 
saving  against  the  day  of  his  funeral  and  ship 
ment  back  to  China.  So  that,  on  the  whole,  I  did 
rather  well,  and  I  was  not  ill  content  with  life  as 
I  sat,  with  the  Pirate's  Own  Book  in  my  lap,  and 
Partial's  head  on  my  knee,  looking  out  over  the 
passing  panorama  of  the  river.  The  banks  now 
were  low,  the  swamps,  at  times,  showing  their 
fan-topped  cypresses  close  to  where  we  passed; 
and  all  the  live  oaks  carried  their  funereal  Spanish 
moss,  gray  and  ghostlike. 

We  sometimes  passed  river  craft,  going  up  or 
down,  nondescript,  dingy  and  slow,  for  the  most 
part.  Sometimes  we  were  hailed  gaily  by  monkey- 
like  deck-hands,  sometimes  saluted  by  the  pilot  of 
a  larger  boat.  At  times  we  swept  by  busy  planta 
tion  landings  where  the  levees  screened  the  white- 

143 


144      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

pillared  mansion  houses  so  that  we  could  only  see 
the  upper  galleries.  And  now  at  these  landings, 
we  began  to  see  the  freight,  made  up  as  much  of 
barrels  as  of  bales.  We  were  passing  from  cotton 
to  cane.  But  though  it  still  was  early  in  the  fall, 
the  weather  was  not  oppressive,  and  the  breeze 
on  the  deck  was  cool.  I  had  very  much  enjoyed 
my  breakfast,  and  so  had  my  shipmates  L'Olon- 
nois  and  Lafitte,  to  whom  each  moment  now  was 
a  taste  of  paradise  revealed.  I  envied  them,  for 
theirs,  now,  was  that  rare,  fleeting  and  most  de 
lectable  of  all  human  states,  the  full  realization  of 
every  cherished  earthly  dream.  It  made  me  quite 
happy  that  they  were  thus  happy;  and  as  to  the 
right  or  wrong  of  it,  I  put  that  all  aside  for  later 
explanation  to  them. 

I  looked  up  to  see  Peterson,  who  touched  his 
cap. 

"Yes,   Peterson?" 

"We're  on  our  last  drum  of  gasoline,  Mr. 
Harry,"  said  he.  "Where'll  we  put  in — Baton 
Rouge  ?" 

"No,  we  can't  do  that,  Peterson,"  I  answered. 
"Can't  we  make  it  to  New  Orleans?" 

"Hardly.  But  they  carry  gas  at  most  of  these 
landings  now — so  many  power  boats  and  autos 
nowadays,  you  see." 

"Very  well.     We'll  pass  Bayou  Sara  and  Baton 


FURTHER  PARLEY  145 

Rouge,  and  then  you  can  run  in  at  any  landing 
you  like,  say  twenty  miles  or  so  below.  Can  you 
make  it  that  far?" 

"Oh,  yes,  but  you  see,  at  Baton  Rouge " 

"You  may  lay  to  long  enough  to  mail  these  let 
ters,"  said  I,  frowning;  "but  the  custom  of  getting 
the  baseball  scores  is  now  suspended.  And  send 
John  here." 

The  old  man  touched  his  cap  again,  a  trifle 
puzzled.  I  wondered  if  he  recognized  Davidson's 
waistcoat — he  asked  no  more  questions. 

"John,"  said  I  to  my  Chinaman,  "carry  this  to 
the  ladies;"  and  handed  him  a  card  on  which  I 
had  inscribed :  "Black  Bart's  compliments ;  and 
he  desires  the  attendance  of  the  ladies  on  deck 
for  a  parley.  At  once." 

John  came  back  in  a  few  moments  and  stood 
on  one  foot.  "She  say,  she  say,  Misal  Hally,  she 
say  no  come." 

"Letter  have  got,  John?" 

"Lessah  have  got." 

"Take  it  back.     Say,  at  once." 

"Lessah.     At  wullunce." 

"Lessah,"  he  added  two  moments  later.  "Catchee 
lettah,  them  lady,  and  she  say,  she  say,  go  to 
hellee!" 

"What!  Whafs  that,  John?  She  said  nothing 
of  the  sort !" 


146     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"Lessah,  said  them.  No  catchee  word,  that 
what  she  mean.  Lady,  one  time  she  say,  she  say, 
go  topside  when  have  got  plenty  leady  for  come." 

"Go  back  to  your  work,  John,"  said  I.  And 
I  waited  with  much  dignity,  for  perhaps  ten  min 
utes  or  so,  before  I  heard  any  signs  of  life  from 
the  after  suite.  Then  I  heard  the  door  pushed 
back,  and  saw  a  head  come  out,  a  head  with  dark 
tendrils  of  hair  at  the  white  neck's  nape,  and  two 
curls  at  the  temple,  and  as  clean  and  thorough 
bred  a  sweep  of  jaw  and  chin  as  the  bows  of  the 
Belle  Helene  herself.  She  did  not  look  at  me, 
but  studiously  gazed  across  the  river,  pretended  to 
yawn,  idly  looked  back  to  see  if  she  were  fol 
lowed;  as  she  knew  she  was  not  to  be. 

At  length,  she  turned  as  she  stepped  out  on  the 
deck.  She  was  fresh  as  the  dew  itself,  and  like 
a  rose.  All  color  of  rose  was  the  soft  skirt  she 
wore,  and  the  little  bolero  above,  blue,  with  gold 
buttons,  covered  a  soft  rose-colored  waist,  light 
and  subtle  as  a  spider's  web,  stretched  from  one 
grass  stalk  to  another  of  a  dewy  morning.  She 
was  round  and  slender,  and  her  neck  was  tall  and 
round,  and  in  the  close  fashion  of  dress  which 
women  of  late  have  devised,  to  remind  man  once 
more  of  the  ancient  Garden,  she  seemed  to  me 
Eve  herself,  sweet,  virginal,  as  yet  in  a  garden 
dew-sweet  in  the  morning  of  the  world. 


FURTHER  PARLEY  147 

She  turned,  I  say,  and  by  mere  chance  and  in 
great  surprise,  discovered  me,  now  cap  in  hand, 
and  bowing. 

"Oh,"   she  remarked;  very  much  surprised. 

"Good  morning,  Eve,"  said  I.  "Have  you  used 
Somebody's  Soap;  or  what  is  it  that  you  have 
used?  It  is  excellent." 

A  faint  color  came  to  her  cheek,  the  corners  of 
her  bowed  lips  twitched.  "For  a  pirate,  or  a  per 
son  of  no  culture,  you  do  pretty  well.  As  though 
a  girl  could  sleep  after  all  this  hullabaloo." 

"You  have  slept  very  well,"  said  I.  "You  never 
looked  better  in  all  your  life,  Helena.  And  that 
is  saying  the  whole  litany." 

"You  are  absurd,"  said  she.  "You  must  not 
begin  it  all  again.  We  settled  it  once." 

"We  settled  it  twenty  times,  or  to  be  exact, 
thirteen  times,  Helena.  The  only  trouble  is,  it 
would  not  stay  settled.  Tell  me,  is  there  any  one 
else  yet,  Helena?" 

"It  is  not  any  question  for  you  to  ask,  or  for 
me  to  answer."  She  was  cold  at  once.  "I've  not 
tried  to  hear  of  you  or  your  plans,  and  I  suppose 
the  same  is  true  of  you.  It  is  long  since  I  have  had 
a  heartache  over  you — a  headache  is  all  you  can 
give  me  now,  or  ever  could.  That  is  why  I  can  not 
in  the  least  understand  why  you  are  here  now. 
Auntie  is  almost  crazy,  she  is  go  frightened.  She 


148      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

thinks  you  are  entirely  crazy,  and  believes  you 
have  murdered  Mr.  Davidson." 

"I  have  not  yet  done  so,  although  it  is  true  I 
am  wearing  his  shoes;  or  at  least  his  waistcoat. 
How  do  you  like  it?" 

"I  like  the  one  with  pink  stripes  better,"  she 
replied  demurely. 

"So  then — so  then!"  I  began;  but  choked  in 
anger  at  her  familiarity  with  Cal  Davidson's  waist 
coats.  And  my  anger  grew  when  I  saw  her  smile. 

"Tell  me,  are  you  engaged  to  him,  Helena?" 
I  demanded.  "But  I  can  see;  you  are."  She 
drew  herself  up  as  she  stood,  her  hands  behind 
her  back. 

"A  fine  question  to  ask,  isn't  it?  Especially  in 
view  of  what  we  both  know." 

"But  you  haven't  told  me." 

"And  am  not  going  to." 

"Why  not?" 

"Because  it  is  the  right  of  a  middle-aged  woman 
like  myself " 

"—Twenty-four,"  said  I. 

" — To  do  as  she  likes  in  such  matters.  And 
she  doesn't  need  make  any  confidences  with  a 
man  she  hasn't  seen  for  years.  And  for  whom 
she  never — she  never " 

"Helena,"  said  I,  and  I  felt  pale,  whether  or 
not  I  looked  it,  "be  careful.  That  hurts." 


FURTHER   PARLEY  149 

"Oh,  is  it  so?"  she  blazed.  "I  am  glad  if  it 
does  hurt." 

I  bowed  to  her.  "I  am  glad  if  it  gives  you 
pleasure  to  see  me  hurt.  I  am.  Habeo!" 

"But  it  was  not  so  as  to  me,"  I  added  present 
ly.  "Yes,  I  said  good-by  to  you,  that  last  time, 
and  I  meant  it.  I  had  tried  for  years,  I  believe, 
with  every  argument  in  my  power,  to  explain  to 
you  that  I  loved  you,  to  explain  that  in  every 
human  likelihood  we  would  make  a  good  match 
of  it,  that  we — we — well,  that  we'd  hit  it  off  fine 
together,  very  likely.  And  then,  I  was  well  enough 
off — at  first,  at  least " 

"Oh,  don't!"  she  protested.  "It  is  like  opening 
a  grave.  We  buried  it  all,  Harry.  It's  over. 
Can't  you  spare  a  girl,  a  middle-aged  girl  of 
twenty-four,  this  resurrection?  We  ended  it.  Why, 
Harry,  we  have  to  make  out  some  sort  of  life  for 
ourselves,  don't  we?  We  can't  just  sit  down  and 
—and " 

"No,"  said  I.  "I  tried  it.  I  got  me  a  little 
place,  far  up  in  the  wilderness  with  what  remained 
of  my  shattered  fortunes — a  few  acres.  And  I 
sat  down  there  and  tried  that  'and — and'  business. 
It  didn't  seem  to  work.  But  we  don't  get  on  much 
in  our  parley,  do  we?" 

"No.  The  most  charitable  thing  I  can  think 
of  is  that  you  are  crazy.  Aunt  Lucinda  must  be 


150     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

right.  But  what  do  you  intend  to  do  with  us?  We 
can't  get  off  the  boat,  and  we  can't  get  any  answer 
to  our  signals  for  help." 

"So  you  have  signaled?" 

"Of  course.     Waved  things,  you  know." 

"Delightful!  The  passing  steamers  no  doubt 
thought  you  a  dissipated  lot  of  northern  joy 
riders,  bound  south  on  some  rich  man's  yacht." 

"Instead  of  two  troubled  women  on  a  stolen 
boat." 

"Are  you  engaged  to  Cal  Davidson,   Helena?" 

"What  earthly  difference?" 

"True,  none  at  all.  As  you  say,  I  have  stolen 
his  boat,  stolen  his  wine,  stolen  his  fried  potatoes, 
stolen  his  waistcoats.  But,  bear  witness,  I  drew 
the  line  at  his  neckties.  Nowhere  else,  however!" 
And  as  I  added  this  I  looked  at  her  narrowly. 

"Will  you  put  us  ashore?"  she  asked,  her  color 
rising. 

"No." 

"We're  coming  to  a  town." 

"Baton  Rouge.  The  capital  of  Louisiana.  A 
quaint  and  delightful  city  of  some  sixty  thousand 
inhabitants.  The  surrounding  country  is  largely 
devoted  to  the  sugar  industry.  But  we  do  not 
stop.  Tell  me,  are  you  engaged?" 

But,  suddenly,  I  saw  her  face,  and  on  it  was 
something  of  outraged  dignity.  I  bent  toward  her 


FURTHER   PARLEY  151 

eagerly.  "Forgive  me!  I  nevei  wanted  to  give 
you  pain,  Helena.  Forget  my  improper  question." 

"Indeed!" 

"I've  been  fair  with  you.  And  that's  hard  for 
a  man.  Always,  always, — let  me  tell  you  some 
thing  women  don't  understand — there's  the  fight 
in  a  man's  soul  to  be  both  a  gentleman  and  a 
brute,  because  a  woman  won't  love  him  till  he's 
a  brute,  and  he  hates  himself  when  he  isn't  a 
gentleman.  It's  hard,  sometimes,  to  be  both.  But 
I  tried.  I've  been  a  gentleman — was  once,  at 
least.  I  told  you  the  truth.  When  they  investi 
gated  my  father,  and  found  that,  acting  under  the 
standard  of  his  day,  he  hadn't  run  plumb  with  the 
standards  of  to-day,  I  came  and  told  you  of  it. 
I  released  you  then,  although  you  never  had  pro 
mised  me,  because  I  knew  you  mightn't  want  an 
alliance  with — well,  with  a  front  page  family,  you 
know.  It  blew  over,  yes;  but  I  was  fair  with  you. 
You  knew  I  had  lost  my  money,  and  then 
you " 

"I  remained  'released'." 

"Yes,  it  is  true." 

"And  am  free,  have  been,  to  do  as  I  liked." 

"Yes,  true." 

"And  what  earthly  right  has  a  man  to  try  both 
roles  with  a  woman — that  of  discarded  and  ac 
cepted?  You  chose  the  first;  and  I  never  gave 


152      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

you  the  last.  It  is  horrible,  this  sort  of  talk.  It 
is  abominable.  For  three  years  we  have  not  met 
or  spoken.  I've  not  had  a  heartache  since  I  told 
you.  Don't  give  me  a  headache  now.  And  it 
would  make  my  head  ache,  to  follow  these  crazy 
notions.  Put  us  ashore !" 

"Not  till  I  know  the  truth,"  said  I. 

"About  what?" 

"Well,  for  instance,  about  the  waistcoat  with 
pink  stripes." 

"You  are  silly." 

"Yes.     How  do  you  like  my  suit?" 

"I  never  saw  Mr.  Davidson  wear  that  one,"  said 
she. 

"For  good  reasons.  It  is  my  own,  and  four 
years  old.  You  see,  a  poor  man  has  to  economize. 
And  you  know,  since  I  lost  my  fortune,  I've  been 
living  almost  from  hand  to  mouth.  Honestly, 
Helena,  many  is  the  time  when  I've  gone  out 
fishing,  trying  to  catch  me  a  fish  for  my  supper!" 

"So  does  a  poor  girl  have  to  economize,"  said 
she. 

"You  are  most  sparing  of  the  truth  this  morn 
ing,  Helena,  my  dear,"  I  said. 

"How  dare  you!"  she  blazed  now  at  the  tender 
phrase.  "Fine,  isn't  it,  when  I  can't  get  away? 
If  I  could,  I'd  go  where  I'd  never  see  or  hear  of 
you  again.  I  thought  I  had." 


FURTHER  PARLEY  153 

"But  you  have  not.  You  shall  hear  and  see  me 
daily  till  I  know  from  your  own  lips  the  truth 
about  you  and — and  every  and  any  other  man  on 
earth  who — well,  who  wears  waistcoats  with  pink 
stripes." 

"We'll  have  a  long  ride  then,"  said  she  calmly, 
and  rose. 

I  rose  also  and  bowed. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

IN    WHICH    IS   HUE  AND   CRY 

WE  ran  by  the  river- front  of  Baton  Rouge, 
and  lay  to  on  the  opposite  side  while  our 
dingey  ran  in  with  mail.  I  sent  Peterson  and  La- 
fitte  ashore  for  the  purpose,  and  meantime  paced 
the  deck  in  several  frames  of  mind.  I  was  arrested 
in  this  at  length  by  L'Olonnois,  who  was  standing 
forward,  glasses  in  hand. 

"Here  they  come,"  said  he,  "and  a  humpin'  it 
up,  too.  Look,  Jean  Lafitte  is  standin'  up,  wavin' 
at  us.  Something's  up,  sure.  Mayhap,  we  are 
pursued  by  the  enemy.  Methinks  'tis  hue  and  cry, 
good  Sir." 

"It  jolly  well  does  look  like  it,  mate/'  said  I, 
taking  his  glasses.  "Something's  up." 

I  could  see  the  stubby  dingey  forced  half  out 
the  water  by  Peterson's  oars,  though  she  made 
little  speed  enough.  And  I  saw  men  hurrying  on 
the  wharf,  as  though  about  to  put  out  a  boat. 

"What's  wrong,  Peterson?"  I  shouted  as  he 
came  in  range  at  last. 

"Hurry  up!"  It  was  Lafitte  who  answered. 
"Clear  the  decks  for  action.  Yon  varlet  has  wired 
on  ahead  to  have  us  stopped f  They're  after  us!" 
So  came  his  call  through  cupped  hands. 

154 


HUE  AND  CRY  155 

I  ran  to  the  falls  and  lowered  away  the  blocks 
to  hoist  them  aboard,  even  as  I  ordered  speed  and 
began  to  break  out  the  anchor.  We  hardly  were 
under  way  before  a  small  power  boat,  bearing  a 
bluecoated  man,  puffed  alongside. 

"What  boat  is  this?"  he  called.  "Belle  Helene, 
of  Mackinaw?" 

In  answer — without  order  from  me,— my  blood 
thirsty  mate,  L'Olonnois,  brought  out  the  black 
burgee  of  the  Jolly  Rover,  bearing  a  skull  and 
cross-bones.  "Have  a  look  at  that!"  he  piped. 
"Shall  we  clear  the  stern-chaser,  Black  Bart?" 

"Hold  on  there,  wait !  I've  got  papers  for  you," 
called  the  officer,  still  hanging  at  our  rail,  for  I 
had  not  yet  ordered  full  speed. 

"He  hollered  to  me  he  was  going  to  arrest  us, 
Mr.  Harry,"  explained  Peterson,  much  out  of 
breath.  "What's  it  all  about?  What  papers  does 
he  mean?" 

"The  morning  papers,  very  likely,  Peterson," 
said  I.  "The  baseball  scores." 

"Will  you  halt,   now?"   called  the   officer. 

"No,"  I  answered,  through  the  megaphone. 
"You  have  no  authority  to  halt  us.  What's  your 
paper,  and  who  is  it  for?" 

"Wire  from  Calvin  Davidson,  Natchez,  charg 
ing  John  Doe  with  running  off  with  his  boat." 

"This  is  not  his  boat,"  I  answered,  "but  my 
own,  and  I  am  not  John  Doe.  We  are  on  our 


156      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

way  to  the  coast,  and  not  under  any  jurisdiction 
of  yours." 

He  stood  up  and  drew  a  paper  from  his  pocket, 
and  began  to  read.  In  reply  I  pulled  the  whistle 
cord  and  drowned  his  voice;  while  at  the  same 
time  I  gave  the  engineer  orders  for  full  speed. 
Shaking  his  fist,  he  fell  astern. 

None  the  less,  I  was  a  bit  thoughtful.  After 
all,  the  Mississippi  River,  wide  as  it  was,  ran  with 
in  certain  well  defined  banks  from  which  was  no 
escaping.  We  were  three  hundred  miles  or  more 
from  the  high  seas,  and  passing  between  points 
of  continuous  telegraphic  communication;  so  that 
a  hue  and  cry  down  the  river  might  indeed  mean 
trouble  for  us.  Moreover,  even  as  I  turned  to 
pick  up  the  course — for  I  had  myself  taken  the 
wheel — I  saw  the  figure  of  Aunt  Lucinda  on  the 
after  deck.  She  was  on  the  point  of  heaving  over 
board  a  bottle — I  heard  it  splash,  saw  it  bob  astern, 
"Now,  the  devil  will  be  to  pay/'  thought  I.  But, 
on  second  thought,  I  slowed  down,  so  that  dis 
tinctly  I  saw  the  officer,  also  slowing  down,  stoop 
over  and  take  the  bottle  aboard  his  launch. 

"Ahoy,  the  launch!"  I  hailed.  He  put  a  hand 
at  his  ear  as  I  megaphoned  him.  "Take  this  mes 
sage  for  Mr.  Calvin  Davidson,"  I  hailed.  He 
nodded  that  he  heard.  " — That  to-night  John  Doe 
will  wear  his  waistcoat,  the  one  with  the  pink 
stripes.  Do  you  get  me?" 


HUE  AND  CRY  157 

Apparently  he  did  not  get  me,  for  he  sat  down 
suddenly  and  mopped  his  face.  We  left  him  so. 
And  for  aught  I  could  know,  he  took  back  ashore 
material  for  a  newspaper  story,  which  bade  fair 
to  be  better  for  the  newspapers  than  for  us  on 
board  the  Belle  PIclene;  for,  up  and  down  the 
river,  the  wires  might  carry  the  news  that  a  crazy 
man  had  been  guilty  of  piracy,  highway  robbery, 
abduction,  I  know  not  how  many  other  crimes; 
and  to  arrest  him  on  his  mad  career  they  might 
enlist  all  the  authorities,  municipal,  county,  state 
and  even  national.  "John  Doe,"  said  I  to  myself, 
"if  I  really  were  you,  methinks  I  should  make 
haste."  None  the  less  I  smiled;  for,  if  I  were 
John  Doe  only,  then  Calvin  Davidson  had  no  idea 
who  had  stolen  his  chartered  yacht,  and  who  was 
about  to  disport  in  his  most  cherished  waistcoat! 
The  situation  pleased  me  very  much.  "L'Olon- 
nois,"  said  I,  "come  hither,  my  hearty." 

"Aye,  aye,  Sir,"  replied  that  worthy.  "What  is 
it,  Black  Bart?" 

"Nothing,  except  I  was  just  going  to  say  that 
I  enjoy  it  very  much,  this  being  a  pirate." 

"So  do  I,"  said  he.  "An'  let  any  pursue  us  at 
their  peril!" 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

IN    WHICH    IS   DISCUSSION    OF    TWO    AUNTIES 

L'OLONNOIS  was  still  all  for  training  the  stern- 
chaser  Long  Tom  (the  Belle  Helene's  brass 
yacht  cannon)  on  the  enemy,  and  came  to  me  pre 
sently  breathing  defiance.  "  'F  I  only  had  any  chain 
shot  in  the  locker/'  said  he,  "beshrew  me,  but  I 
would  pay  him  well  for  this!  He's  got  my  Auntie 
Helen's  auntie  scared  silly." 

"And  how  about  your  Auntie  Helena  herself?" 
I  asked  of  him.  Thus  far,  he  had  been  guilty  of 
no  nepotism  whatever,  and  had  treated  his  auntie 
as  any  other  captive  maiden,  perchance  fallen  into 
his  ruthless  hands. 

"Well,  she  ain't  so  scared  as  she  is  mad,  near's 
I  can  see,"  was  his  reply.  "She  sat  there  when  I 
first  drove  'em  down-stairs,  lookin'  at  me,  an'  she 
says,  'Jimmy,'  says  she,  'what's  all  this  foolish 
ness?'  An'  she  reaches  out  her  hand,  an'  she 
offers  me  candy- — she  makes  awful  nice  fudges, 
too.  She  knew  that  wasn't  fair!  But  I  says  to 
her.  'Woman,  cease  all  blandishments,  for  now 
you  are  in  our  power!"  An'  I  liked  that,  fer  I 
been  in  her  power  long  enough.  Then  she  set 
down,  an'  near's  I  can  tell,  she  got  to  thinking 
things  over.  I  know  her— she'll  try  to  get  away." 

158 


TWO   AUNTIES  159 

"She  has  tried  to  do  so,  my  good  leftenant,  is 
trying  now.  She  and  her  Auntie  Lucinda  have 
thrown  over  I  know  not  how  many  bottles  carrying 
messages.  It  were  only  by  mere  chance  yon  varlet 
could  escape  coming  over  some  of  them.  Add  this 
to  the  fact  that  yon  varlet  has  got  the  king's  navy 
after  us,  and  marry!  methinks  we  have  full  work 
cut  out  for  us.  Not  that  stout  heart  should  falter, 
good  leftenant,  eh?" 

"We  follow  Black  Bart  the  Avenger/*  said 
L'Olonnois,  folding  his  arms  and  frowning  heav 
ily.  "But  say,"  he  added,  "what  seems  funny  to 
me  is,  you  and  my  Auntie  Helen  must  of  known 
each  other  before  now." 

"Not  at  all,  not  at  all — that  is,  but  casually,  and 
long  years  since.  It  had  long  since  escaped  my 
mind."  I  felt  myself  flushing  sadly. 

"I'll  tell  her  that — I  knew  she  was  mistaken.  I 
was  sure  she  was." 

"No!  No!  Jimmy,  you'll  tell  her  nothing  of  the 
kind.  I  only  meant " 

"Well,  she  remembers  you,  I'm  almost  sure,  an' 
so  does  Aunt  Lucinda.  Aunt  Lucinda,  why  I've 
heard  her  back  home  tell  Auntie  Helena  about  as 
good  fish  in  the  sea,  an'  she  mustn't  bother  over 
a  man  that's  poor.  Was  it  you,  Black  Bart?  And 
are  you  poor?" 

"As  I  stand  before  you  now,  Jimmy  L'Olon 
nois,  I'm  the  poorest  beggar  in  the  world,"  said  I. 


160     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"I  have  risked  my  all  on  one  hazard.  If  I  win, 
I  shall  be  rich  beyond  compare.  If  I  fail,  I  shall 
be  poor  indeed." 

"She  knows  that.  She  knows  you're  poor,  all 
right.  I  heard  Aunt  Lucinda  tell  her  often.  She 
said  you  was  rich  once,  an'  lost  it  all,  speculatin' 
in  a  mine  or  something;  an'  what  was  the  use 
marryin'  a  man  who  hadn't  anything?  I  don't 
know,  but  I  think  that  was  why  Aunt  Lucinda 
worked  up  this  trip  with  Mr.  Davidson.  He's  got 
money  to  burn — look  at  this  yacht,  an'  everything 
— an'  I  know  him  and  Auntie  Lucinda,  anyhow, 
have  got  it  doped  out  that  him  an'  Auntie  Helen's 
goin'  to  get  married — even  if  they  ain't  now,  so 
far's  I  know.  Anyhow,  our  takin'  the  ship  has 
broke  up  something.  But  say,  now,  Black 
Bart " 

"Well,  my  good  leftenant " 

"I  got  a  idea!" 

"Indeed?" 

"Yep.  Looka  here,  now — why  don't  you  just 
do  like  the  pirate  book  says?" 

"How  is  that?" 

"Marry  the  captive  maid  your  own  self?" 

I   felt  my  color  rise  yet  more. 

"Why,  now,  that  happened  right  along  in  them 
days — pirate  chief,  he  takes  a  beautiful  maiden 
captive,  an'  after  makin'  all  his  prisoners  walk 


TWO  AUNTIES  161 

the  plank  but  just  her,  he  offers  his  hand  an'  for 
tune.  An'  lots  of  times,  somehow,  the  beautiful 
maiden  she  married  the  ruthless  pirate  chief,  an' 
they  lived  happy  ever  after.  Why  don't  you?" 

"I  hadn't  thought  of  that,  Jimmy,"  I  said,  most 
mendaciously;  "but  the  idea  has  some  merit.  In 
fact,  we've  already  started  in  by  taking  the  beau 
tiful  maiden  captive,  and,  mayhap,  yon  varlet  yet 
shall  walk  the  plank,  or  swear  a  solemn  oath  never 
to  wear  such  waistcoats  as  these  again.  But  one 
thing  lacks." 

"What?" 

"The  maiden's  consent!" 

"No,  it  don't!  They  never  ast  'em — they  just 
married  'em,  that  was  all.  An'  every  time,  they 
lived  happy  ever  after.  An'  they  founded  fami 
lies  that " 

"Jimmy!"     I  raised  a  hand.     "That  will  do." 

"Well,  anyhow,  I  wouldn't  pay  any  attention 
to  Aunt  Lucinda  about  it.  She's  strong  for  yon 
varlet,  for  he's  got  the  dough." 

"And  isn't  your  Auntie  Helena  also — but  no, 
on  second  thought,  I  will  not  ask  you  that " 

"Why  no,  sure  not — it's  better  to  demand  it  of 
her  own  fair  lips,  an'  not  take  no  for  a  answer. 
They  always  live  happy  ever  after." 

— "Of  course,  Jimmy." 

— "And  so  would  you." 


162     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"I  know  it!     I  know  it!" 

"Well,    then,    why   just   don't   you?" 

"Good  leftenant,  Black  Bart  will  take  your  coun 
sel  into  full  advisement.  Later,  we  shall  see. 
Meantime,  we  must  have  a  care  for  our  good  ship's 
safety,  for  none  may  tell  what  plans  yon  varlet 
may  be  laying  to  circumvent  us." 

So  saying,  I  sought  out  Peterson  and  asked  him 
for  his  maps  and  charts. 

There  was,  as  I  found  by  consulting  these,  a 
deep  bayou,  an  old  river  bed,  that  ran  inland  some 
thirty  miles,  apparently  tapping  a  rich  plantation 
country  which  was  not  served  by  the  regular  river 
boats. 

"Do  you  know  anything  about  this  old  channel, 
Peterson?"  I  inquired. 

"Nothing  at  all  except  from  hearsay  and  what 
you  see  here,"  he  replied.  "I  don't  know  whether 
or  not  it  has  a  bar  at  either  end,  but  likely  enough 
it  has  at  both,  though  we  might  crowd  through." 

"And  how  about  the  gasoline  supply?" 

"Enough  to  get  us  in,  at  least.  And,  I  say, 
here's  a  sort  of  plantation  post-office  marked. 
There's  just  a  bare  chance  we  could  get  a  drum 
or  so  in  there.  I  don't  think  we  can,  though." 

"What's  she  drawing  now  as  she  runs,  Peter 
son?" 

"Four  feet  two  inches.     She's  a  shade  low  by 


TWO  AUNTIES  163 

the  stern.  We've  quite  a  lot  of  supplies  aboard, 
this  early  in  the  cruise.  But  I  don't  suppose  we've 
got  enough." 

"Well,  Peterson,"  said  I,  "water  leaves  no  trail. 
If  there's  no  one  watching  when  we  open  up  this 
next  bend,  run  for  the  bayou,  and  we'll  see  if  we 
can  get  under  cover.  Of  course,  it's  all  a  mistake 
about  Mr.  Davidson's  wiring  on  to  have  us  stopped 
— though  we  can't  blame  him,  since  he  hasn't  any 
idea  who  it  is  that  has  run  away  with  the  boat. 
But  now,  it  suits  me  better  to  double  in  here,  and 
let  the  chase  try  to  find  us  on  the  main  river;  if 
there  is  any  chase.  You  see,  I  don't  want  to  dis 
turb  the  ladies  unduly,  and  they  might  not  un 
derstand  it  all  if  we  were  overhauled  and  asked 
to  explain  our  change  in  the  ownership." 

"Quite  right,  sir,  and  very  good.  I  catch  the 
idea.  But,  sir " 

He  hesitated. 

"Yes?" 

"Well,  sir,  if  I  might  be  so  bold,  what  are  your 
plans  about  the  two  ladies?" 

"I  have  none  which  will  effect  your  navigation 
of  the  boat,  Peterson." 

The  old  man  flushed  a  shade.  "Excuse  me,  Mr. 
Harry.  I  know  you'll  do  nothing  out  of  the  way. 
But  the  old  hen — I  beg  pardon " 

"You  mean  the  revered  aunt,  Peterson/' 


164      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"Yes,  sir,  the  revered  aunt.  Well,  sir,  the  re 
vered  aunt,  dash  her! '' 

"Yes,  dash  her  starry  toplights,  Peterson;  and 
even  if  need  be,  shiver  her  timbers!  Go  on " 

"Why,  she's  been  tryin'  to  pull  off  a  weddin'  on 
this  boat  ever  since  we  left  Mackinaw." 

"Why  not?  You  mean  that  Mr.  Davidson  and 
the  revered  aunt  were  getting  on  well?" 

"Oh,  no,  bless  your  heart,  no!  It  was  the  young 
lady,  Miss  Emory.  And  she " 

I  raised  my  hand.  "Never  mind,  Peterson.  We 
can't  discuss  that  at  all.  But  now,  I'm  minded 
to  give  my  friend  Mr.  Davidson  a  little  game  of 
follow-my-leader.  And  just  to  show  how  we'll  do 
that,  we'll  begin  with  a  preliminary  go  at  hide- 
and-seek.  Take  the  chance,  Peterson,  and  run 
into  the  bayou.  I'll  put  off  the  small  boat  for 
soundings.  If  we  can  get  gas,  and  can  get  in,  and 
can  get  out  unnoticed,  maybe  we  can  run  by  New 
Orleans  in  the  night,  and  none  the  wiser." 

"And  where  then,  Mr.  Harry?" 

"Peterson,  the  high  seas  have  no  bridges,  and 
if  they  had,  I  should  not  cross  them  yet.  Perhaps 
if  I  did,  I  then  should  burn  them  behind  me." 

"She's  a  mortal  fine  young  woman,  Mr.  Harry, 
a  mortal  fine  one.  I'll  be  swqjrn  he  makes  a  hard 
run  for  her.  But  so  can  we — eh,  Mr.  Harry? 
He'll  like  enough  pocket  us  in  here,  though." 


TWO  AUNTIES  165 

I  made  no  answer  to  this.  The  old  man  left  me 
to  take  the  wheel,  and  I  noted  his  head  wag  from 
side  to  side. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

IN   WHICH   I  ESTABLISH   A   MODUS  VIVENDI 

AS  good  fortune  would  have  it,  we  swung  in, 
opposite  the  screened  mouth  of  Henry's 
Bayou,  at  a  time  when  the  stream  was  free  of 
all  craft  that  might  have  observed  us,  although 
far  across  the  forest  we  could  see  a  black  column 
of  smoke,  marking  a  river  steamer  coming  up. 

"Quick  with  that  long  boat,  Lafitte,"  I  ordered; 
and  he  drew  our  old  craft  alongside  as  we  slowed 
down.  "Get  over  yonder  and  sound  for  a  bar. 
Take  the  boat  hook.  If  you  get  four  feet,  we'll 
try  it." 

My  hardy  young  ruffian  was  nothing  if  not 
prompt,  nor  was  he  less  efficient  than  the  average 
deck-hand.  It  was  he  who  did  the  sounding  while 
Willie,  our  factotum,  pulled  slowly  in  toward 
the  mouth  of  the  old  river  bed.  I  watched  them 
through  the  glasses,  noting  that  rarely  could  La- 
fitte  find  any  bottom  at  all  with  the  long  shaft  of 
the  boat  hook.  "She's  all  right,  Peterson,"  said 
I.  "Follow  on  in,  slowly — I  don't  want  that 
steamer  yonder  to  catch  us.? 

"Why  don't  you?"  A  voice  I  should  know,  to 
which  all  my  body  would  thrill,  did  I  hear  it  in 

166 


A  MODUS  VIVENDI  167 

any  corner  of  the  world,  spoke  at  my  elbow.  I 
started  for  a  half  instant  before  I  made  reply, 
looking  into  her  dark  eyes,  sensible  again  of  the 
perfume  most  delirium-producing  for  a  man:  the 
scent  of  a  woman's  hair. 

"Because,  Helena,"  said  I,  "I  wish  our  boat  to 
lie  unnoticed  for  a  time,  till  the  hue  and  cry  has 
lulled  a  bit." 

"And  then?"  She  bent  on  me  her  gaze,  so  diffi 
cult  to  resist,  and  smiled  at  me  with  the  corners 
of  her  lips,  so  subtly  irresistible.  I  felt  a  rush  of 
fire  sweep  through  all  my  being,  and  something 
she  must  have  noted,  for  she  gave  back  a  bit  and 
stood  more  aloof  along  the  rail. 

"And  then,"  said  I  savagely,  "this  boat  runs  by 
all  the  towns,  till  we  reach  the  Gulf,  and  the 
open  sea." 

"And  then?" 

"And  then,  Helena,  we  sail  the  ocean  blue,  you 
and  I." 

"For  how  long?" 

"Forever,  Helena.     Or,  at  least,  until " 

"Until  when?" 

"Until  you  say  you  will  marry  me,  Helena." 

She  made  no  answer  now  at  all  beyond  a  scorn 
ful  shrug  of  her  shoulders.  "Suppose  I  can  not?" 
she  said  at  last. 

"If  you  can  not,   all  the  same  you  must  and 


168      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

shall!"  said  I.  "You  shall  be  prisoner  until  you 
do." 

"Is  there  no  law  for  such  as  you?" 

"No.  None  on  the  high  sea.  None  in  my  heart. 
Only  one  law  I  know  any  more,  Helena — I  who 
have  upheld  the  law,  obeyed  it,  reverenced  it." 

"And  that?" 

"The  law  of  the  centuries,  of  the  forest,  of  the 
sea.  The  law  of  love,  Helena." 

"Ah,  you  go  about  it  handsomely!  If  you  wished 
me  to  despise  you,  to  hate  you,  this  would  be 
very  fit,  what  you  say." 

"You  may  hate  me,  despise  me,  Helena.  Let 
it  be  so.  But  you  shall  not  ignore  me,  as  you  have 
these  three  years." 

"It  was  your  fault;  your  wish — as  well  as  my 
wish.  We  agreed  to  that.  Why  bring  it  up  again? 
When  the  news  came  that  you  had  quit  your  pro 
fession,  and  just  at  the  time  you  had  lost  all  your 
father's  fortune  and  your  own,  had  turned  your 
back  and  run  away,  when  you  should  have  stayed 
and  fought — well,  do  you  think  a  girl  cares  for 
that  sort  of  man?  No.  A  man  must  do  some 
thing  in  this  world.  He  mustn't  quit.  He's  got 
to  fight" 

"Not  even  if  he  has  nothing  to  work  for?" 

"No,  not  even  then.  There  are  plenty  of  girls 
in  the  world " 


A  MODUS  VIVENDI  169 

"One." 

— "And  a  man  mustn't  throw  away  his  life 
for  any  one  woman.  That  isn't  right.  He  has  his 
work  to  do,  his  place  to  make  and  hold.  That's 
what  a  woman  wants  in  a  man.  But  you  didn't. 
Now,  you  come  and  say  we  must  forget  all  the 
years  of  off-and-on,  all  the  time  we — we — wasted, 
don't  you  know?  And  because  I  am,  for  a  little 
while,  in  your  hands,  you  talk  to  me  in  a  way  of 
which  you  ought  to  be  ashamed.  You  threaten  me, 
a  woman.  You  even  almost  compromise  me.  This 
will  make  talk.  You  speak  to  me  as  though,  in 
deed,  you  were  a  buccaneer,  and  I,  indeed,  in  your 
power  absolutely.  If  I  did  not  know  you " 

"You  do  not.  Forget  the  man  you  knew.  I 
am  not  he." 

She  spread  out  her  hands  mockingly,  and  yet 
more  I  felt  my  anger  rise. 

"I  am  another  man.  I  am  my  father,  and  his 
great  grandfather,  and  all  his  ancestors,  pirates  all. 
I  know  what  I  covet,  and  by  the  Lord!  nothing 
shall  stop  me,  least  of  all  the  law.  I  shall  take 
my  own  where  I  find  it." 

"And  now  listen!"  I  concluded.  "I  am  master 
on  this  ship,  no  matter  how  I  got  it.  Late  poor, 
as  you  say,  I  shall  be  richer  soon,  for  I  shall  take, 
law  or  no  law,  consent  or  no  consent,  what  I  want, 
what  I  will  have.  And  that  is  you! 


170     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"Each  day,  at  eleven,  Helena,"  I  concluded, 
"I  shall  meet  you  on  the  after  deck,  and  shall  try 
to  be  kind,  try  to  be  courteous " 

"Why,  Harry " 

"Try  to  be  calm,  too.  I  want  to  give  you  time 
to  think.  And  I,  too,  must  think.  For  a  time, 
I  wondered  what  was  right,  in  case  you  had 
really  pledged  yourself  to  another  man." 

"Suppose  I  had?"  she  asked,  sphinx-like. 

"I  will  try  to  discover  that.  Not  that  it  would 
make  any  difference  in  my  plans." 

"You  would  take  what  was  another's?"  She 
still  gazed  at  me,  sphinx-like. 

"Yes !  By  the  Lord,  Helena,  my  father  did,  and 
his,  and  so  would  I!  So  would  I,  if  that  were 
you!  Let  him  fend  for  himself." 

She  turned  from  the  rail,  her  color  a  little 
heightened,  affected  to  yawn,  stretched  her  arms. 

We  were  now  passing  over  the  bar,  slowly,  feel 
ing  our  way,  our  skiff  alongside,  and  the  shelter 
of  the  curving,  tree-covered  bayou  banks  now 
beginning  to  hide  us  from  view,  though  the  bellow 
ing  steamer  below  had  not  yet  entered  our  bend. 

"Who  is  that  boy?"  she  inquired    lazily. 

"That,  madam,  is  no  less  than  the  celebrated 
freebooter,  Jean  Lafitte,  who  so  long  made  this 
lower  coast  his  rendezvous." 

"Nonsense!  And  you're  filling  his  head  with 
wild  ideas," 


A  MODUS  VIVENDI  171 

"Say  not  so;  'twas  he  and  your  blessed  blue- 
eyed  pirate  nephew,  the  cutthroat  L'Olonnois,  who 
filled  my  head  with  wild  ideas." 

"How,  then?" 

"They  took  me  prisoner,  on  my  own — I  mean, 
at  the  little  place  where  I  stop,  up  in  the  country. 
And  not  till  by  stern  deeds  I  had  won  their  con 
fidence,  did  they  accept  me  as  comrade,  and,  at 
last,  as  leader — as  I  may  modestly  claim  to  be. 
And  do  not  think  that  you  can  wheedle  either  of 
them  away  from  Black  Bart.  L'Olonnois  remem 
bers  you  spanked  him  once,  and  has  sworn  a  bit 
ter  vengeance." 

"Why  did  you  happen  to  start  sailing  down  this 
way?" 

"Because  I  learned  Cal  Davidson  had  started — 
with  you." 

"And  all  that  way  you  had  it  in  mind  to  over 
take  us?" 

"Yes;  and  have  done  so;  and  have  taken  his 
ship  away  from  him,  and  for  all  I  know  his  bride." 

"He  was  your  friend." 

"I  thought  so.  I  suppose  he  never  knew  that 
you  and  I  used  to — well,  to  know  each  other,  be 
fore  I  lost  my  money." 

"He  never  spoke  of  that." 

"No  difference,  unless  all  for  the  better,  for  I 
shall,  now,  never  give  you  up  to  any  man  on 
earth." 


172      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"And  I  thought  you  the  best  product  of  our 
civilization,  a  man  of  education,  of  breeding/' 

"No,  not  breeding,  unless  savagery  gives  it. 
I'm  civilized  no  longer.  When  you  stand  near 
me,  and  your  hair — go  below,  Helena!  Go  at 
once!" 

She  turned,  moved  slowly  toward  her  door. 

I  finished  calmly  as  I  could.  "To-morrow,  at 
eleven,  I  shall  give  you  an  audience  here  on  the 
deck.  We  shall  have  time.  This  is  a  wilderness. 
You  can  not  get  away,  and  I  hope  no  one  will  find 
you.  That  is  my  risk.  And  oh!  Helena,"  I 
added,  suddenly,  feeling  my  heart  soften  at  the 
pallor  of  her  face — "Oh,  Helena,  Helena,  try  to 
think  gently  of  me  as  you  can,  for  all  these  miles 
I  have  followed  after  you;  and  all  these  years  I 
have  thought  of  you.  You  do  not  know — you  do 
not  know!  It  has  been  one  long  agony.  Now  go, 
please.  I  promise  to  keep  myself  as  courteous  as 
I  can.  You  and  I  and  Aunt  Luanda  will  just 
have  a  pleasant  voyage  together  until — until  that 
time.  Try  to  be  kind  to  me,  Helena,  as  I  shall 
try  to  be  with  you." 

Silent,  unsmiling,  she  disappeared  beyond  her 
cabin  door,  nor  would  she  eat  dinner  even  in  her 
cabin,  although  Aunt  .Lucinda  did ;  and  found  the 
ninety-three  was  helping  her  neuralgia. 

I  know  not  if  they  slept,  but  I  slept  not  at  all. 


A  MODUS  VIVENDI  173 

The  shadows  hung  black  about  us  as  we  lay  at 
anchor  four  miles  inland,  silent,  and  with  no 
lights  burning  to  betray  us.  Now  and  again,  I 
could  hear  faint  voices  of  the  night,  betimes  croak- 
ings,  splashings  in  the  black  water  about  us.  It 
was  as  though  the  jungle  had  enclosed  us,  deep  and 
secret-keeping.  And  in  my  heart  the  fierce  fever 
of  the  jungle's  teachings  burned,  so  that  I  might 
not  sleep. 

But  in  the  morning  Helena  was  fresh,  all  in 
white,  and  with  no  more  than  a  faint  blue  of 
shadow  beneath  her  eyes.  She  honored  us  at 
breakfast,  and  made  no  manner  of  reference  to 
what  had  gone  on  the  evening  before.  This,  then, 
I  saw,  was  to  be  our  modus  Vivendi;  convention, 
the  social  customs  we  all  had  known,  the  art,  the 
gloss,  the  veneer  of  life,  as  life  runs  on  in  society 
as  we  have  organized  it!  Ah,  she  fought  cun 
ningly  ! 

"Black  Bart,"  said  L'Olonnois,  after  breakfast 
as  we  all  stood  on  deck — Helena,  Auntie  Lucinda 
and  all — "what's  all  them  things  floatin'  around  in 
the  water?" 

"They  look  like  bottles,  leftenant,"  said  I ;  "per 
haps  they  may  have  floated  in  here.  How  do  you 
suppose  they  came  here,  Mrs.  Daniver?"  I  asked. 

"How   should   I   know?"   sniffed   that   lady. 

"Well,    good    leftenant,    go    overside,    you    and 


174      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

Jean,  and  gather  up  all  those  bottles,  and  carry 
them  with  my  compliments  to  the  ladies  at  their 
cabin.  You  can  have  the  satisfaction  of  throwing 
them  all  overboard  later  on,  Mrs.  Daniver.  Only, 
remember,  that  there  is  no  current  in  the  bayou, 
and  they  will  stay  where  they  fall  for  weeks,  un 
less  for  the  wind." 

"And  where  shall  we  be,  then?"  demanded 
Auntie  Lucinda,  who  had  eaten  a  hearty  breakfast, 
and  I  must  say  was  looking  uncommon  fit  for  one 
so  afflicted  with  neuralgia. 

"Oh,  very  likely  here,  in  the  same  place,  my  dear 
Mrs.  Daniver,"  said  I,  "unless  war  should  break 
out  meantime.  At  present  we  all  seem  to  have  a 
very  good  modus  Vivendi,  and  as  I  have  no  press 
ing  engagements,  I  can  conceive  of  nothing  more 
charming  than  passing  the  winter  here  in  your 
society."  Saying  which  I  bowed,  and  turning  to 
Helena,  "At  eleven,  then,  if  you  please?" 


CHAPTER  XX 

IN   WHICH   I   HAVE  POLITE  CONVERSATION,   BUT 
LITTLE    ELSE 

T  HAD  myself  quite  forgotten  my  appointed  hour 
A  of  eleven,  feeling  so  sure  that  it  would  not  be 
remembered,  as  of  covenant,  by  the  party  of  the 
second  part,  so  to  speak,  and  was  sitting  on  the 
forward  deck  looking  out  over  the  interesting  pic 
tures  of  the  landscape  that  lay  about  us.  It  was 
the  morning  of  a  Sabbath,  and  a  Sabbath  calm 
lay  all  about  us — silence,  and  hush,  and  arrested 
action.  The  sun  itself,  warm  at  a  time  when  soon 
the  breezes  must  have  been  chill  at  my  northern 
home,  was  veiled  in  a  soft  and  tender  mist,  which 
brought  into  yet  lower  tones  the  pale  greens  and 
grays  of  the  southern  forest  which  came  close 
to  the  bayou's  edge.  The  forest  about  us  not  yet 
fallen  before  the  devastating  northern  lumbermen 
— men  such  as  my  father  had  been,  who  cared 
nothing  for  a  tree  or  a  country  save  as  it  might 
come  to  cash — was  in  part  cypress,  in  part  cotton- 
wood,  but  on  the  ridge  were  many  oaks,  and  over 
all  hung  the  soft  gray  Spanish  moss.  The  bayou 
itself,  once  the  river,  but  now  released  from  all 
the  river's  troubling  duties,  held  its  unceasing 

175 


176     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

calm,  fitted  the  complete  retirement  of  the  spot,  and 
scarce  a  ripple  broke  it  anywhere.  Over  it,  on 
ahead,  now  and  then  passed  a  long-legged  white 
crane,  bound  for  some  distant  and  inaccessible 
swamp;  all  things  fitting  perfectly  into  this  quiet 
Sabbath  picture. 

My  cigar  was  excellent,  I  had  my  copy  of 
Epictetus  at  hand,  and  all  seemed  well  with  the 
world  save  one  thing.  Here,  at  hand,  was  every 
thing  man  could  ask,  all  comforts,  many  luxuries; 
and  I  knew,  though  Helena  did  not,  that  the  safe 
increase  of  my  fortune — that  fortune  which  some 
had  called  tainted,  and  which  I  myself  valued 
little,  soon  as  I  had  helped  increase  it  by  the  ex 
ercise  of  my  profession — was  quite  enough  to 
maintain  equal  comfort  or  luxury  for  us  all  our 
lives.  But  she  was  obstinate,  and  so  was  I.  She 
would  not  say  whether  she  loved  Cal  Davidson, 
and  I  would  never  undeceive  her  as  to  my  sup 
posed  poverty.  Why,  the  very  fact  that  she  had 
dismissed  me  when  she  thought  my  fortune  gone 
— that,  alone,  should  have  proved  her  unworthy 
of  a  man's  second  thought.  Therefore,  ergo,  hence, 
and  consequently,  I  could  not  have  been  a  man; 
for  I  swear  I  was  giving  her  a  second  thought, 
and  a  thousandth;  until  I  rebelled  at  a  weakness 
that  could  not  put  a  mere  woman  out  of  mind. 

And  then,  I  slowly  turned  my  head,  and  saw  her 


A  POLITE  CONVERSATION         177 

standing  on  the  after  deck.  Her  footfall  was  not 
audible  on  the  rubber  deck-mats,  and  she  had  not 
spoken.  I  resolved,  as  soon  as  I  had  leisure,  to 
ask  some  scientific  friends  to  explain  how  it  was 
possible  that  with  no  sound  or  other  appeal  to 
any  of  the  sensorial  nerves,  I  could,  at  a  distance 
of  seventy-five  feet,  become  conscious  of  the  pres 
ence  of  a  person  no  more  than  five  feet  five,  who 
had  not  spoken  a  word,  and  was  standing  idly 
looking  out  over  the  ship's  rail,  in  quite  the  op 
posite  direction  from  that  in  which  I  sat.  And 
then  the  ship's  clock  struck  six  bells,  and  recalled 
the  appointment  at  eleven.  Hastily  I  dropped 
Epictetus  and  my  cigar,  and  hurried  aft. 

"Good  morning  again,   Helena,"   said   I. 

She  stood  looking  on  out  over  the  water  for 
a  time,  but,  at  length,  turned  toward  me,  just  a 
finger  up  as  to  stifle  a  yawn.  "Really,"  said  she, 
"while  I  am  hardly  so  situated  that  I  can  well 
escape  it  or  resent  it,  it  does  seem  to  me  that  you 
might  well  be  just  a  trifle  less  familiar.  Why  not 
'Miss  Emory'?" 

"Because,  Helena,  I  like  'Helena'  better." 

A  slow  anger  came  into  her  eyes.  She  beat 
a  swift  foot  on  the  deck. 

"Don't,"  I  said.  "Don't  stamp  with  your  feet. 
It  reminds  me  of  a  Belgian  hare,  and  I  do  not 
like  them,  petted  or  caged." 


178     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"I  might  as  well  be  one,"  she  broke  out,  "as 
well  be  one,  caged  here  as  we  are,  and  insulted  by 
a— a " 

"A  ruthless  buccaneer " 

"Yes,  a  ruthless  buccaneer,  who  has  remembered 
only  brutalities." 

"And  forgotten  all  amenities?  Why,  Helena, 
how  could  you!  And  after  all  the  cork-tipped  cig 
arettes  I  have  given  you,  and  all  the  ninety-three  I 
have  given  your  Auntie  Lucinda — why  look  at  the 
empty  message  bottles  she  and  you  have  thrown 
out  into  the  helpless  and  unhelping  bayou — a  per 
fect  fleet  of  them,  bobbing  around.  Shan't  I  send 
the  boys  overboard  to  gather  them  in  for  you 
again?" 

"A  fine  education  you  are  giving  those  boys, 
aren't  you,  filling  their  heads  with  lawless  ideas! 
A  fine  debt  we'll  all  owe  you  for  ruining  the  char 
acter  of  my  nephew  Jimmy.  He  was  such  a  nice 
nephew,  too." 

"Your  admiration  is  mutual,  Miss  Emory — I 
mean,  Helena.  He  says  you  are  a  very  nice 
auntie,  and  your  divinity  fudges  are  not  surpassed 
and  seldom  equaled.  It  is  an  accomplishment, 
however,  of  no  special  use  to  a  poor  pirate's  bride; 
as  I  intend  you  shall  be." 

She  had  turned  her  back  on  me  now. 

"Besides,  as  to  that,"   I  went  on,   "I  am  only 


A  POLITE  CONVERSATION          179 

affording  these  young  gentlemen  the  same  advan 
tages  offered  by  the  advertisements  of  the  United 
States  navy  recruiting  service — good  wages,  good 
fare,  and  an  opportunity  to  see  the  world.  Come 
now,  we'll  all  see  the  world  together.  Shall  we 
not,  Miss  Emory — I  mean,  Helena?" 

"We  can't  live  here  forever,  anyhow,"  said  she. 

"I  could,"  was  my  swift  answer.  "Forever, 
in  just  this  quiet  scene.  Forever,  with  all  the 
world  forgot,  and  just  you  standing  there  as  you 
are,  the  most  beautiful  girl  I  ever  saw;  and  once, 
I  thought,  the  kindest." 

"That  I  am  not." 

"No.  I  was  much  mistaken  in  you, .  much  dis 
appointed.  It  grieved  me  to  see  you  fall  below 
the  standard  I  had  set  for  you.  I  thought  your 
ideals  high  and  fine.  They  were  not,  as  I  learned 
to  my  sorrow.  You  were  just  like  all  the  rest. 
You  cared  only  for  my  money,  because  it  could 
give  you  ease,  luxury,  station.  When  that  was 
gone,  you  cared  nothing  for  me." 

I  stood  looking  at  her  lovely  shoulders  for  some 
time,  but  she  made  no  sign. 

"And  therefore,  finding  you  so  fallen,"  I  re 
sumed,  "finding  you  only,  after  all,  like  the  other 
worthless,  parasitic  women  of  the  day,  Miss  Emory 
— Helena,  I  mean — I  resolved  to  do  what  I  could 
to  educate  you.  And  so  I  offer  you  the  same  foot- 


180      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

ing  that  I  do  your  nephew — good  wages,  good 
fare,  and  an  opportunity  to  see  the  world." 

No  answer  whatever. 

"Do  you  remember  the  Bay  of  Naples,  at  sun 
set,  as  we  saw  it  when  we  first  steamed  in  on 
the  old  City  of  Berlin,  Helena?" 

No  answer. 

"And  do  you  recall  Fuji-yama,  with  the  white 
top — remember  the  rickshaw  rides  together, 
Helena?" 

No  answer. 

"And  then,  the  fiords  of  Norway,  and  the 
mountains?  Or  the  chalk  cliffs  off  Dover?  And 
those  sweet  green  fields  of  England — as  we  rode 
up  to  London  town?  And  the  taxis  there,  just 
you  and  I,  Helena,  with  Aunt  Lucinda  happily 
evaded — just  you  and  I?  Yes,  I  am  thinking  of 
forcing  Aunt  Lucinda  to  walk  the  plank  ere  long, 
Helena.  I  want  a  world  all  my  own,  Helena,  the 
world  that  was  meant  for  us,  Helena,  made  for 
us — a  world  with  no  living  thing  in  it  but  yonder 
mocking-bird  that's  singing;  and  you,  and  me." 

"Could  you  not  dispense  with  the  mocking 
bird — and  me?"  she  asked. 

"No,"  (I  winced  at  her  thrust,  however).  "No, 
not  with  you.  And  you  know-  in  your  heart,  in 
the  bottom  of  your  trifling  and  fickle  and  worth 
less  heart,  Helena  Emory,  that  if  it  came  to  the 


A  POLITE  CONVERSATION          181 

test,  and  if  life  and  all  the  world  and  all  happi 
ness  were  to  be  either  all  yours  or  all  mine,  I'd 
go  anywhere,  do  anything,  and  leave  it  all  to  you 
rather  than  keep  any  for  myself." 

"Go,  then!" 

"If  I  might,  I  should.  But  male  and  female 
made  He  them.  I  spoke  of  us  as  units  human, 
but  not  as  the  unit  homo.  Much  as  I  despise  you, 
Helena,  I  can  not  separate  you  from  myself  in 
my  own  thought.  We  seem  to  me  to  be  like  old 
Webster's  idea  of  the  Union — "one  and  indivis 
ible."  And  since  I  can  not  divide  us  in  any 
thought,  I,  John  Doe,  alias  Black  Bart,  alias  the 
man  you  once  called  Harry,  have  resolved  that 
we  shall  go  undivided,  sink  or  swim,  survive  or 
perish.  If  the  world  were  indeed  my  oyster,  I 
should  open  it  for  us  both;  but  saying  both,  I 
should  see  only  you.  Isn't  it  odd,  Helena?" 

"It  is  eleven-thirty,"  said  she. 

"Almost  time  for  luncheon.  Do  you  think  me 
a  'good  provider/  Helena?" 

"Humph!  Mr.  Davidson  was.  While  your 
stolen  stores  last  in  your  stolen  boat,  I  suppose 
we  shall  not  be  hungry." 

"Or  thirsty?"      She  shrugged. 

"Or  barren  of  cork-tips  of  the  evening?  Or 
devoid  of  guitar  strings?" 

"I  shall  need  none." 


182     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"Ah,  but  you  will!  It  belikes  me  much,  fair 
maid,  to  disport  me  at  ease  this  very  eve,  here  on 
the  deck,  under  the  moon,  and  to  hear  you  yourself 
and  none  other,  fairest  of  all  my  captives,  touch  the 
lute,  or  whatever  you  may  call  it,  to  that  same 
air  you  and  I,  fair  maid,  heard  long  ago  together 
at  a  lattice  under  the  Spanish  moon.  A  swain 
touched  then  his  lute,  or  whatever  you  may  call  it, 
to  his  Dulcinea.  Here  'tis  in  the  reverse.  The 
fair  maid,  having  no  option,  shall  touch  the  lute,  or 
whatever  you  call  it,  to  John  Doe,  Black  Bart,  or 
whatever  you  may  call  him;  who  is  her  captor, 
who  feels  himself  about  to  love  her  beyond  all 
reason;  and  who,  if  he  find  no  relief,  presently, 
in  music — which  is  better  than  drink — will  go 
mad,  go  mad,  and  be  what  he  should  not  be,  a 
cruel  master;  whereas  all  he  asks  of  fate  is  that 
he  shall  be  only  a  kind  captor  and  a  gentle  friend." 

Her  head  held  very  high,  she  passed  me  without 
a  word  and  threw  open  the  door  of  her  suite. 

.  .  .  And  that  night,  that  very  night,  that  very 
wondrous,  silent,  throbbing  night  of  the  Sabbath 
and  the  South,  when  all  the  air  was  as  it  seemed 
to  me  in  saturation,  in  a  suspense  of  ecstasy,  to 
be  broken,  to  be  precipitated  by  a  word,  a  motion, 
a  caress,  a  note  .  .  .  that  night,  I  say,  as  I  sat 
on  the  forward  deck  alone,  I  heard,  far  off  and 
faint  as  though  indeed  it  were  the  lute  of  Anda 
lusia,  the  low,  slow,  deep  throb  of  a  guitar!  .  .  . 


It  was  a  love  song  of  old  Spain 


A  POLITE  CONVERSATION          183 

My  whole  heart  stopped.  I  was  no  more  than  a 
focused  demand  of  life.  Reason  was  gone  from 
me,  not  intellect  but  emotion — that  is  its  basic 
thing  after  all,  emotion  born  on  earth  but  reach 
ing  to  the  stars.  ...  I  listened,  not  hearing  .  .  . 
It  was  the  air  we  had  heard  long  ago,  a  love  song 
of  old  Spain,  written,  perhaps,  before  DeSoto  arid 
his  men  perished  in  these  very  bayous  and  forests 
that  now  shielded  us  against  all  tumult,  all  tur 
moil,  all  things  unhappy  or  unpleasant.  The  full 
tide  of  life  and  love  swept  through  my  veins  as 
I  listened. 

I  rose,  I  hastened.  At  her  door  I  paused. 
"Helena!"  I  called  raucously.  "Helena."  And 
she  made  no  reply.  "Helena,"  I  called  again.  "It 
was  the  same  old  air.  This  is  Spain  again!  Ah, 
I  thank  you  for  that  same  old  air.  Helena,  for 
give  me.  May  I  come  in — will  you  come  out?" 

I  halted.  A  cold  voice  came  from  the  com- 
panionway  door.  "You  have  a  poor  ear  for  music, 
John  Doe.  It  is  not  the  same.  Do  you  think  I 
would  take  orders  from  you,  or  any  other  man?" 

I  stood  irresolute  a  moment,  and  then  did 
what  I  should  not  have  done.  I  pulled  open  her 
door.  "Come  out,"  I  demanded.  But  then  I 
closed  the  door  and  went  away.  She  was  sitting, 
her  head  bowed  on  the  instrument  she  had  played. 
And  when  she  looked  up,  startled  at  my  rudeness, 
I  saw  her  eyes  wet  with  tears. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

IN  WHICH  WE  MAKE  A  RUN   FOR  IT 

C^/^ADZOOKS!  Black  Bart,"  remarked  L'Olon- 

^J  nois  at  the  breakfast  table  the  next  morn 
ing,  "and  where  is  the  captive  maiden?" 

"I  do  not  know,"  was  my  answer.  "Better  go 
find  out,  Jimmy." 

He  departed,  but  presently,  returned  somewhat 
troubled. 

"My  Auntie  Helen,"  said  he,  "I  mean  the  cap 
tive  maid,  why,  she  says  she's  got  a  headache  and 
don't  want  no  breakfast." 

"Not  even  a  grapefruit  and  a  cup  of  coffee?" 
I  demanded,  anxiously  and,  it  must  be  admitted, 
somewhat  guiltily;  for  I  knew  that  the  soul  of 
Helena  was  grieved  and  whatever  the  trouble,  the 
fault  was  my  own.  Surely  I  had  placed  the  poor 
captive  in  a  most  difficult  position,  and  loving  her 
as  I  did,  how  could  I  continue  to  give  her  dis 
comfort?  My  resolution  almost  weakened.  I  was 
considerably  disturbed. 

And  yet  as  I  faced  the  alternative  of  setting 
her  free,  and  once  more  taking  up  the  aimless  and 
unhappy  life  I  had  led  these  last  three  years  with 
out  sight  of  her,  something — I  suppose  the  great 
selfishness  which  lies  under  love — rose  up  and  said 

184 


A  RUN  FOR  IT  185 

me  nay;  and  I  began  to  make  excuses  in  favor  of 
my  desire,  as  that,  surely,  soon  she  would  come  to 
a  more  reasonable  way  of  thought.  And  in  one 
thing,  at  least,  I  was  honest  with  myself,  deceitful 
as  are  lovers  with  themselves,  and  arguing  ever  in 
their  own  favor — I  did  not  know  why  Helena  had 
wept,  and  it  was  perhaps  my  right  to  know. 

One  selfishness  with  another,  I  resolved  to  go 
on  with  this  matter,  though  knowing  full  well  how 
difficult  would  be  my  battle  with  her,  how  unequal; 
for  I  was  armed  only  with  a  great  love,  backed 
by  no  art  at  all,  whereas,  she  merely  would  con 
tinue  to  unmask  against  me  new  batteries  of  de 
fense — severe  politeness,  formality  with  me;  laugh 
ter  and  scornfulness  of  me;  anger,  pitifulness,  at 
last  even  tears;  and  always  the  dread  assault  of 
her  eyes,  and  the  scent  of  her  hair  and  the  sweet 
wistfulness  of  her  mouth, — all,  all  the  charms  of 
all  women  united  in  her  one  self,  to  attack,  to 
assail,  to  harass,  and  to  make  wholly  wretched  the 
man  who  loved  her  more  than  anything  in  life, 
and  who  was  driven  almost  to  using  any  means,  so 
only  that  she  might  not  be  away,  not  be  out  of 
sense  and  sight;  as  out  of  mind  and  out  of  heart 
she  never  more  might  be.  So  that,  all  in  all,  it 
were,  indeed,  hard  question  whether  she  or  I  were 
the  more  wretched.  Surely  grapefruit  and  toast 
and  coffee  seemed  to  me  but  inventions  of  the 
powers  of  darkness  at  that  breakfast 


186     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

Not  so  my  hardy  mates,  however,  who  ate  with 
the  keen  appetite  of  youth,  from  fruit  through 
bacon  and  toast  and  back  again,  both  talking  all 
the  while.  Nor,  as  the  event  proved,  altogether 
unwisely.  Indeed,  it  was  stout  Jean  Lafitte  who 
resolved  my  doubts,  and  by  suggesting  the  simple 
medicine  of  action  rather  than  meditation,  sufficed 
for  the  removal  of  one  of  my  two  minds. 

"What  ho !  Black  Bart,"  said  he,  after  his  third 
helping  of  bacon,  "why  does  our  good  ship  lie  here 
idle  at  her  anchor?"  Question  direct,  like  Jean 
himself,  and  demanding  direct  answer. 

"Ask  Captain  Peterson,"  said  I.  "He  perhaps 
can  tell  where  we  can  get  more  gasoline." 

"No,  he  can't.     I  asked  him  this  morning." 

"Then  'twould  seem  we  must  lie  here  all  winter, 
unless  discovered  by  some  relief  expedition." 

"Why  don't  we  start  a  relief  expedition  of  our 
own?"  demanded  he. 

"And  how?" 

"Why,  me  and  Willy,  the  deck-hand,  we'll  take 
the  long  boat  an*  go  out  an'  explore  this  region 
roundabout.  Somebody  may  have  gasoline  some 
where,  and  if  so,  we  can  git  it,  can't  we?" 

"Your  idea  is  excellent,  Jean  Lafitte,"  said  I. 
"Within  the  hour  you  shall  set  forth  to  see  whether 
or  not  there  is  any  settlement  on  this  bayou.  And 
that  you  may  not  need  vise  violence  when  secrecy 


A  RUN  FOR  IT  187 

is  our  wish,  here  is  a  fat  purse  for  our  stores. 
And  hasten,  for  of  a  truth,  Jean  Lafitte,  I  am  most 
aweary  of  this  very  morning,  and  I  long  to  see 
the  white  seas  roll  once  more." 

It  was  determined,  therefore,  that  we  should 
fare  onward — in  case  we  could  fare  at  all — with 
our  ship's  company  as  it  now  was;  for,  of  course, 
none  but  myself  knew  what  was  afoot  between 
Black  Bart  and  his  captive.  And  well  enough  I 
knew  that  in  keeping  Helena  Emory  thus  close  to 
me,  I  was  breeding  sleepless  nights  and  anxious 
days. 

This  day  itself  was  anxious  enough,  nor  could 
all  of  Epictetus  teach  me  calm  philosophy,  dis 
tracted  as  I  was  over  this  situation,  complex  as  it 
was.  As  to  the  fortune  of  the  long  boat,  we  knew 
nothing  until,  at  three  of  the  afternoon,  I  saw  a 
white  speck  of  a  sail  round  the  bend  of  our  bayou, 
and  saw  that  was  hoisted,  spirit  fashion,  over  our 
boat,  which  now,  with  following  wind,  rapidly 
drew  in  toward  us. 

"It's  all  right,"  called  out  Jean  Lafitte,  when  he 
came  within  hail;  and  I  saw  now  that  he,  indeed, 
had  a  boat's  load  of  gasoline  in  tanks,  cans  and 
all  manner  of  receptacles. 

"Town  and  a  store,  down  there  five  miles,"  he 
explained  as  I  caught  his  gunwale  with  boat  hook. 
"You  can  git  anything  there.  Now,  the  Giants 


188     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

an'  the  Cubs,  why,  they  tied  in  the  Seventh  inning 
yesterday.  An'  say " 

"Enough,"  said  I,  "let  me  hear  nothing  of  the 
cursed  Giants  or  the  yet  more  accursed  Cubs,  for 
I  have  more  serious  work  afoot!  Tell  me,  is  there 
a  bar  cutting  off  the  other  end  of  the  bayou;  and 
how  long  is  the  bayou?" 

"Sixteen  miles,"  answered  the  useful  Lafitte, 
"an'  she  seems  like  good  water  all  the  way.  They 
say  there's  seven  foot  on  the  bar,  and  the  wood 
boats  run  in  and  out." 

"Good!  And  did  you  tell  them  who  you  were, 
and  why  you  wanted  gasoline?" 

"No.  I  only  said  our  automobeel  was  broke 
down,  an'  we  wanted  the  baseball  scores.  That 
was  all.  They  ast  who  was  we.  I  said  you  was 
John  Doe — you  see,  I  didn't  want  to  tell  your  real 
name,  so  I  didn't  say  Black  Bart." 

"And  you  didn't  mention  our  boat?" 

"Of  course  not!  Whose  business  is  it  what 
pirates  does?  They  strike  hardest  when  least  ex 
pected.  To-night  we  can  run  in  an'  rob  the  store, 
easy." 

"Jean!"  I  cried,  horrified,  "what  do  you  mean? 
Let  me  hear  no  more  such  talk,  or  by  my  halidom ! 
back  you  go  to  your  home  by  first  train.  I'll  not 
be  responsible  for  the  ruin  of  any  boy's  morals  in 
this  way." 


A  RUN  FOR  IT  189 

"Well  what  do  you  think  about  that,  Jimmy!" 
said  Jean,  somewhat  cast  down  and  much  mystified. 
"Ain't  we  pirates,  an'  don't  pirates  live  on  booty?" 

"Booty  enough  you  have  in  your  boat,  Jean," 
said  I,  "and  let  us  get  it  aboard  and  in  our  tanks, 
for  to-night  we  sail." 

"For  to  rob  the  store?"  anxiously. 

"No,  once  more  for  the  Spanish  Main,  my 
hearties!  I  seek  a  greater  treasure;  and  plenty  of 
danger,  believe  me,  lies  between  here  and  there." 

"When'll  we  start?"  queried  L'Olonnois    eager- 

Iy-, 

"To-night,  at  six  bells.  Make  all  ready,"  was 
my  reply. 

And  that  very  night,  with  our  search-light  half 
covered,  and  at  slow  speed  and  with  the  sounding 
lead  going,  Peterson  felt  his  way  out  from  our 
moorings  and  along  the  full  length  of  Henry's 
Bayou,  silently  as  he  might.  We  saw  few  signs 
of  life  beyond  now  and  then  a  distant  light  in  some 
negro  cabin,  and  with  all  the  lights  doused  we 
swept  by  like  a  ghost  in  the  night,  along  the  front 
of  the  plantation  at  whose  store  my  men  had  got 
their  gasoline.  At  last  we  broke  open  the  lower 
end  of  the  bayou,  which,  coming  in  from  the  main 
stream  in  a  long  open  reach,  showed  like  a  lane 
of  faint  light  in  the  forest;  and  to  my  great  re 
lief  presently,  felt  the  current  of  the  great  stream 


190     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

pick  us  up,  and  saw  the  channel  lights  ahead,  so 
that  we  knew  we  might  for  a  time,  at  least,  ad 
vance  in  safety. 

In  all  this  work,  my  two  faithful  lieutenants 
were  awake  and  alert;  but  I  saw  nothing  of 
Helena  that  day,  nor  had  message  either  from  her 
or  her  aunt  in  the  full  round  of  twenty- four  hours 
since  last  we  met.  Had  she  sought  deliberately 
to  repay  me  for  the  grief  I  caused  her,  Helena 
could  have  devised  no  better  plan  than  her  silence 
and  her  absence  from  my  sight,  after  what  time 
I  had  seen  her  weep. 

Suddenly  a  thought  of  more  practical  sort  came 
to  my  mind.  "Jimmy,"  I  called. 

"Aye,  aye,  Sir;"  and  L'Olonnois  saluted. 

"You  remember  all  those  bottles  floating  around 
in  the  bayou — did  you  take  them  all  up?" 

"Aye,  aye,  Sir,  an'  she  throwed  a  lot  more  in, 
out  o'  the  cabin  window.  I  was  shootin'  at  'em 
with  the  twenty-two,  an'  busted  some." 

"But  not  all?" 

"Oh,  no,  some  was  left." 

"And  we  sailed  away,  leaving  there,  no  doubt, 
the  full  story  of  our  voyage." 

"Like  enough,"  said  L'Olonnois.  "I  didn't  think 
of  that." 

"Nor  I.  For  once,  the  vigilance  of  Black  Bart 
faltered,  L'Olonnois,  and  he  must  yet,  mayhap, 


A  RUN  FOR  IT  191 

make  better  amends  for  his  fault.  Full  speed 
ahead,  now,  Peterson,"  I  added  later  as  I  went 
forward.  "Run  for  New  Orleans  and  with  all  you 
can  get  out  of  her." 

"Very  good,  Mr.  Harry,"  said  the  old  man;  and 
I  could  feel  the  throb  of  her  whole  superstructure, 
from  stack  to  keelson,  when  he  called  on  the 
double-sixties  of  the  Belle  Helene  for  all  their 
power.  Nor  did  any  seek  to  stay  us  in  our  swift 
rush  down  the  river. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

IN    WHICH    I    WALK    AND    TALK    WITH    HELENA 

IT  was  nine  of  as  fine  a  winter  morning  as  the 
South  ever  saw  when  at  last,  having  passed 
without  pause  all  intervening  ports,  we  found  our 
selves  at  the  city  of  New  Orleans.  Rather,  in 
the  vicinity  of  that  city;  for  when  we  reached  the 
railway  ferry  above  the  town,  I  ran  alongshore 
and  we  made  fast  the  Belle  Helene  at  a  somewhat 
precarious  landing  place.  I  now  called  Peterson 
to  me. 

"It's  a  fine  morning,  Peterson,"  said  I. 

"Yes,  sir,  but  I  think  'tis  going  to  rain."  (Peter 
son  was  always  gloomy.) 

"You  must  go  down-town,  Peterson,"  said  I. 
"The  through  train  from  the  West  is  late  and  just 
now  is  coining  into  the  ferry.  You  can  take  it 
easily.  We  have  got  to  have  still  more  gasoline, 
for  there  is  a  long  trip  ahead  of  us,  and  I  am  not 
sure  what  may  be  the  chance  for  supplies  below 
the  city." 

"Are  you  going  into  the  Gulf,  Mr.  Harry?" 

"Yes,  Peterson.  You  will  continue  to  navigate 
the  boat ;  and,  meantime,  you  may  be  quartermaster 
also.  I  shall  be  obliged  to  remain  here  until  you 
return." 

192 


I  WALK  WITH  HELENA  193 

The  old  man  touched  his  cap.  "Very  good,  sir, 
but  I'm  almost  sure  not  to  return/'' 

"Listen,  Peterson,"  I  went  on,  well  used  to  his 
customary  depression  of  soul,  "go  to  the  ship's 
furnisher,  Lavallier  and  Thibodeau,  toward  the 
Old  Market.  Tell  them  to  have  all  our  supplies 
at  slip  K,  below  the  railway  warehouses,  not  later 
than  nine  this  evening.  We  want  four  drums 
of  gasoline.  Also,  get  two  thousand  rounds  of 
ammunition  for  the  twelve  gages,  ducking  loads, 
for  we  may  want  to  do  some  shooting.  We  also 
want  two  or  three  cases  of  grapefruit  and  oranges, 
and  any  good  fresh  vegetables  in  market.  All 
these  things  must  be  ready  on  the  levee  at  nine, 
without  fail.  Here  is  my  letter  of  credit,  and  a 
bank  draft,  signed  against  it — I  think  you  will  find 
they  know  me  still." 

The  old  man  touched  his  cap  again  but  hesitated. 
"I'm  sure  to  be  asked  something,"  he  said  some 
what  nervously. 

"Say  nothing  about  any  change  of  ownership 
of  this  boat,  Peterson,  and  don't  even  give  the 
boat's  name,  unless  you  must.  Just  say  we  will 
meet  their  shipping  clerk  at  slip  K,  this  evening, 
at  nine.  Hurry  back,  Peterson.  And  bring  a 
newspaper,  please." 

"Is  any  one  else  going  down-town?"  asked  Peter 
son.  "I  may  run  into  trouble." 

"No,  we  shall  all  remain  aboard." 


194     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

He  departed  mournfully  enough,  seeing  that  the 
ferry  boat  now  was  coming  across  with  the  rail 
way  train.  I  continued  my  own  moody  pacing 
up  and  down  the  deck.  Truth  was,  I  had  not 
seen  Helena  for  more  than  twenty-four  hours,  nor 
had  any  word  come  from  the  ladies'  cabin  to  give 
me  hope  I  ever  would  see  her  again  of  her  own 
will.  My  surprise,  therefore,  was  great  enough 
when  I  heard  the  after  cabin  door  close  gently  as 
she  came  out  upon  the  deck. 

When  last  I  saw  her  she  had  been  in  tears.  Now 
she  was  all  smiles  and  radiant  as  the  dawn!  Her 
gown,  moreover,  was  one  I  had  never  seen  before, 
and  she,  herself,  seemed  monstrous  pleased  with  it, 
for,  by  some  miracle,  fresh  as  though  from  the 
hands  of  her  maid  at  home,  she  knew  herself  fair 
and  fit  enough  to  make  more  trouble  for  mankind. 

"Good  morning,"  said  she,  casually,  as  though 
we  had  parted  but  lately  and  that  conventionally. 
"Isn't  it  fine?" 

"It  is  a  beautiful  picture,"  said  I,  "and  you  fit 
into  it.  I  am  glad  to  see  you  looking  so  well." 

"I  wish  I  could  say  as  much  for  you,"  said 
she.  "You  look  like  a  forlorn  hope." 

"I  am  nothing  better." 

"And  as  though  you  had  not  slept." 

"I  have  not,  Helena." 

"Why  not?"  her  eyes  wide  open  in  surprise. 


I  WALK  WITH  HELENA  195 

"Because  I  knew  I  had  either  hurt  or  offended 
you;  and  I  would  do  neither." 

"You  have  done  both  so  often  that  it  should  not 
cost  you  your  sleep,"  said  she  slowly.  "But  if 
you  really  want  to  be  kind,  why  can  you  not  have 
mercy  on  a  girl  who  has  been  packed  in  a  hat  box 
for  a  month?  Let  me  go  ashore." 

"Can  you  not  breathe  quite  as  well  where  you 
are,  Helena?" 

"But  I  can't  walk." 

"Oh,  yes,  you  can;  and  I  will  walk  beside  you 
here  on  deck." 

"But  I  would  like  to  pick  flowers,  over  there 
by  the  embankment." 

"The  train  is  too  close,"  said  I,  smiling  grimly. 

Her  color  heightened  just  a  little,  but  she  did 
not  answer  my  suspicions.  "Please  let  me  walk 
with  you  over  there,"  she  said.  "I  used  not  to 
need  ask  twice." 

"Our  situation  is  now  reversed,   Helena." 

"Please,  let  me  walk  with  you,  Sir!" 

"I  dare  not.  We  might  both  forget  ourselves 
and  go  off  to  New  Orleans  for  a  lark  without 
Aunt  Lucinda." 

"Oh,  I  am  going  to  call  Aunt  Lucinda,  too." 

"Pardon,  but  you  are  going  to  do  nothing  of 
the  kind.  Even  with  her  as  chaperon,  did  we  get 
down  there  in  the  old  city  once  more,  like  the 


196     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

children  we  once  were,  Helena,  wre  would  forget 
our  duty,  would,  perhaps,  forget  our  purpose  here. 
Mademoiselle,  I  dare  not  take  that  risk." 

"Please,  Sir,  may  I  walk  with  you  over  yonder 
for  just  a  little  time?"  she  said,  as  though  it  were 
her  first  request.  She  was  tying  her  quaint  little 
white  bonnet  strings  under  her  chin  now.  I  raised 
a  hand. 

"You  ask  a  man  to  put  himself  into  the  power 
of  the  woman  he  loves  most  in  all  the  world. 
When  a  man  needs  resolution,  dare  he  look  into 
the  eyes  of  that  woman,  feel  her  hand  on  his  arm, 
have  her  walk  close  to  him  as  they  promenade?" 

"Dear  me!     Is  it  so  bad  as  that?" 

"Worse,  Helena." 

"Then  I  am  to  continue  a  prisoner  in  that  hat 
box?" 

"Until  you  love  me,  Helena,  as  I  do  you." 

"As  I  told  you,  that  would  be  a  long  time." 

"Yes!  For  never  in  the  world  can  you  love 
me  as  I  do  you.  I  had  forgotten  that." 

"If  only  you  could  forget  everything  and  just 
be  a  nice  young  man,"  said  she.  "It  is  such  fun. 
This  dear  old  town,  don't  you  know?  Now,  with 
a  nice  young  man  to  go  about  with  Aunt  Lucinda 
and  me " 

"How  would  a  man  like  Calvin  Davidson  do?" 
I  demanded  bitterly, 


I  WALK  WITH  HELENA  197 

"Very  well.     He  is  nice  enough." 

"I  suppose  so.  He  is  rich,  able  to  have  his 
horses  and  cars — even  his  private  yacht.  He  can 
order  a  dinner  in  any  country  in  the  world,  or  tell 
you  the  standing  of  any  club,  in  either  league,  at 
any  minute  of  the  day  or  night.  Could  I  say  more 
for  his  education?  He  has  two  country  places 
and  a  city  house  and  a  business  which  nets  him  a 
hundred  thousand  a  year.  How  can  he  help  be 
ing  nice?  I  do  not  resemble  Mr.  Davidson  in  any 
particular,  except  that  I  am  wearing  one  of  his 
waistcoats.  Also,  Helena,  I  am  wearing  a  suit 
of  flannels  which  I  have  borrowed  from  John,  his 
Chinese  cook.  You  can  readily  see  I  am  a  poor 
man.  How,  then,  can  I  be  nice?'* 

"No  one  would  see  us  here,"  said  she,  sublime 
ly  irrelevant,  as  usual.  "There  are  some  little 
yellow  flowers  over  there  on  the  bank.  Maybe  I 
could  find  some  violets." 

There  was  a  wistfulness  in  her  gaze  which  made 
appeal.  I  could  not  resist.  "Helena,"  said  I  sud 
denly,  "give  me  your  parole  that  you  will  not  try 
to  escape,  and  I  will  walk  with  you  among  yonder 
flowers.  You  look  as  though  just  from  a  Watteau 
fan,  my  dear.  It  is  fall,  but  seems  spring,  and 
the  world  seems  made  for  flowers  and  shepherds 
and  love,  my  dear.  Do  you  give  me  your  word?" 

"If  I  do,' may  I  walk  alone?" 


198     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"No,  with  me." 

"I'll  not  try  to  take  the  train.  On  my  honor, 
I  will  not." 

I  looked  deep  into  her  eyes  and  saw,  as  always, 
only  truth  there — her  deep  brown  eyes,  filled  with 
some  deep  liquid  light  whose  color  I  never  could 
say — looked  till  my  own  senses  swam.  I  could 
scarcely  speak. 

"I  take  your  parole,  Helena,"  I  said.  "You 
never  lied  to  me  or  any  other  human  being  in  the 
world." 

"You  don't  know  me,"  said  she.  "I  used  often 
to  lie  to  mama,  and  frequently  do  yet  to  Aunt 
Lucinda.  But  not  if  I  say  I  give  my  word — my 
real  word." 

"When  will  you  give  me  your  real  word,  Helena  ? 
You  know  what  I  mean — when  will  you  say  that 
you  love  me  and  no  one  else?" 

"Never!"  said  she  promptly.  "I  hate  you  very 
much.  You  have  been  presumptuous  and  overbear- 
ing." 

"Why  then  should  you  promenade  with  me?" 

"Fault  of  anything  better,  Sir!"  But  she  took 
my  hand  lightly,  smiling  as  I  assisted  her  down 
the  landing  way. 

"But  tell  me,"  she  added  as  we  made  our  way 
slowly  up  the  muddy  slope,  "really,  Harry,  how 
long  is  this  thing  to  last?  When  are  we  going 
back  home?" 


I  WALK  WITH  HELENA  199 

"How  can  you  ask?  And  how  can  I  reply, 
save  in  one  way,  after  taking  the  advice  of  yon 
der  pirate  captain,  your  blue-eyed  nephew?  He 
says  they  always  live  happy  ever  after.  Listen, 
Helena.  Gaze  upon  this  waistcoat!  Forget  its 
stripes,  and  imagine  it  to  be  sprigged  silk  of  a 
day  long  gone  by.  Let  us  play  that  romance  is 
not  yet  dead.  These  are  not  cuffs,  but  ruffles  at 
my  wrists — for  all  Cal  Davidson's  extraordinary 
taste  in  shirts.  All  the  world  lies  before  us,  and 
it  is  yesterday  once  more.  The  Mediterranean, 
Helena,  how  blue  it  is — the  Bermudas,  how  fine 
they  are  of  a  winter  day!  And  yonder  lies  motley 
Egypt  and  her  sands.  Or  Paris,  Helena;  or  Vien 
na,  the  voluptuous,  with  her  gay  ways  of  life. 
Or  Nagasaki,  Helena — little  brown  folks  running 
about,  and  all  the  world  white  in  blossoms.  All  the 
world,  Helena,  with  only  you  and  I  in  it,  and 
with  not  a  care  until,  at  least,  we  have  eaten  the 
last  of  our  tinned  goods  of  the  ship's  supplies; 
since  I  am  poor.  But  if  I  could  give  you  all  that, 
would  I  be  nice?" 

"Would  that  suit  you,  Harry?"  she  asked  sober 
ly;  "just  gallivanting?" 

"You  know  it  would  not.  You  know  I  want 
no  vacation  lasting  all  my  life,  nor  does  any  real 
man.  You  know  it  was  yourself  that  forced  me 
out  of  my  man's  place  and  robbed  me  of  my 
greatest  right." 


200      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"Yes,"  said  she,  "a  man's  place  is  to  fight  and 
to  work.  It's  the  same  to-day.  But/'  she  added, 
"you  ran  away;  and  you  lost." 

"But  am  I  not  trying  to  recoup  my  fortune, 
Helena?  You  see,  I  have  already  acquired  a  yacht, 
although  but  a  few  weeks  ago  I  started  in  the 
world  with  scarcely  more  than  my  bare  hands. 
Could  Monte  Cristo  have  done  more?" 

"It  isn't  money  a  woman  wants  in  a  man." 

"What  is  it,  then?" 

"I  don't  know,"  said  she.  "Oh,  come,  we 
mustn't  go  to  arguing  these  things  all  over 
again!  I'm  weary  of  it.  And  certainly  Aunt 
Lucinda  and  I  both  are  weary  of  our  hat  box 
yonder.  That's  what  I  asked  you,  how  long?" 

"As  long  as  I  like,  Helena,  you  and  your  Aunt 
Lucinda  shall  dwell  there.  What  would  you  say 
to  three  years  or  so?" 

She  seemed  not  to  hear.  "I  believe  I've  found 
a  four  leaf  clover,"  said  she. 

"Much  good  fortune  may  it  bring  you." 

"Let  me  try  my  fortune,"  said  she,  and  began 
plucking  off  the  leaves.  "He  loves  me,  he  loves 
me  not;  he  loves  me,  he  loves  me  not." 

"There!"  she  said,  holding  up  the  naked  stem 
triumphantly;  "I  knew  it." 

"It  would  be  a  fairer  test,  had  you  a  daisy, 
Helena,"  said  I,  "or  something  with  more  leaves; 


I  WALK  WITH  HELENA  201 

not  that  I  know  whose  has  been  this  ordeal.  Sup 
pose  it  were  myself,  and  that  you  tried  this  one." 
I  handed  her  a  trefoil,  but  she  waved  it  aside. 

"I  will  try  to  find  you  a  four  leaf  clover  for 
your  own,  after  a  while,"  said  she,  and  bobbed 
me  a  very  pretty  courtesy.  Angered,  I  caught  at 
the  stick  I  was  carrying  with  so  sudden  a  grip 
that  I  broke  it  in  two. 

"I  did  not  know  your  hands  were  so  strong, 
Harry,"  said  she. 

"Would  they  were  stronger!"  was  my  retort. 
"And  were  I  in  charge  of  the  affairs  of  Provi 
dence,  the  first  thing  I  would  do  would  be  to  wring 
the  neck  of  every  woman  in  the  world." 

"And  then  set  out  to  put  them  together  again, 
Harry?  Don't  be  silly." 

"Oh,  yes,  naturally.  But  you  must  admit, 
Helena,  that  women  have  no  sense  of  reason  what 
ever.  For  instance,  if  you  really  were  trying  out 
the  fortune  of  some  man  on  a  daisy's  head,  you 
would  not  accept  the  decree  of  fate,  any  more 
than  you  could  tell  why  you  loved  him  or  loved 
him  not.  Why  does  a  woman  love  a  man,  Helena? 
You  say  I  must  not  be  silly — should  I  then  be 
wise?" 

"No,  you  are  much  too  wise,  so  that  you  often 
bore  me." 

"Nor  should  he  be  poor?" 


202      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"No." 

"Nor  rich?" 

"Certainly  not.  Rich  men  also  usually  are  bores 
— they  talk  about  themselves  too  much." 

"Should  he  be  a  tall  man?" 

"Not  too  tall,  for  they're  lanky,  nor  short,  be 
cause  they  get  fat.  You  see,  each  girl  has  her  own 
ideal  about  such  matters.  Then,  she  always  mar 
ries  a  man  as  different  as  possible  from  her  ideal." 

"Why  does  she  marry  a  man  at  all,   Helena?" 

"She  never  knows.  Why  should  she?  But 
look — "  she  pointed  out  across  the  water —  "the 
train  is  leaving  the  ferry  boat.  Isn't  that  Captain 
Peterson  going  aboard  the  train?" 

"Yes,  Helena,  I've  sent  him  down-town  to  get 
some  light  reading  for  you  and  your  Aunt  Lucinda 
— Fox's  Book  of  Martyrs,  and  the  Critique  of 
Pure  Reason — the  latter  especially  recommended 
to  yourself.  I  would  I  had  in  print  a  copy  of  my 
magnum  opus,  my  treatment  on  native  American 
culicidcu.  My  book  on  the  mosquito  is  going  to 
be  handsomely  illustrated,  Helena,  believe  me." 

She  turned  upon  me  with  a  curious  look. 
"Harry,"  said  she,  "you've  changed  in  some  ways. 
If  I  were  not  so  bored  by  life  in  yonder  hat  box, 
I  might  even  be  interested  in  you  for  a  few  min 
utes.  You  used  always  to  be  so  sober,  but  now, 
sometimes,  I  wonder  if  I  understand  you.  Honest- 


I  WALK  WITH  HELENA  203 

ly,  you  were  an  awful  stick,  and  no  girl  likes  a 
stick  about  her.  What  do  girls  care  which  dynasty 
it  was  that  built  the  pyramids? — it's  Biskra  they 
want  to  see.  And  we  don't  care  when  or  why 
Baron  Haussmann  built  the  Boulevard  Haussmann 
in  Paris — it's  the  boulevard  itself  interests  us." 

"It  is  the  fate  of  genius  to  be  cast  aside,"  said 
I.  "No  doubt  even  I  shall  be  forgotten — even 
after  my  book  on  the  culicidce  shall  have  been 
completed." 

" — So  that,"  she  went  on,  not  noticing  me, 
"there  is  that  one  point  in  your  favor." 

"Then  there  is  a  chance?" 

"Oh,  yes,  for  me  to  study  you  as  you  once  did 
me — as  one  of  the  citlicidce,  I  presume.  But  if 
you  would  listen  to  reason,  and  end  this  foolish 
ness,  and  set  us  all  ashore,  why,  I  would  be  al 
most  willing  to  forgive  you,  and  we  might  be 
friends  again, — only  friends,  Harry,  as  we  once 
were.  Why  not,  Harry?" 

"You  wheedle  well,"  said  I,  "but  you  forget 
that  what  you  ask  is  impossible.  I  am  Black  Bart 
the  Avenger,  and  the  hand  of  every  man  is  against 
me.  I  am  too  deep  in  this  adventure  to  end  it 
here.  Why?  I  did  not  even  dare  go  down-town 
for  fear  I  might  be  arrested.  Nothing  remains 
but  further  flight,  and  when  you  ask  me  to  fly  and 
leave  you  here,  you  ask  what  is  impossible." 


204     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

She  stood  for  a  time  silent,  a  trifle  paler,  her 
flowers  fallen  from  her  hand,  clearly  unhappy, 
but  clearly  not  yet  beaten.  "Come,"  said  she 
coldly,  "we  must  not  be  brutal  to  Aunt  Lucinda 
also.  Let  us  go  back." 

"Yes,"  said  I,  "now  you  have  back  your  parole." 
"I  think  I  should  like  an  artichoke  for  luncheon," 
said  she.  "Vinaigrette,  you  know."  And  she 
passed  aft,  her  head  hidden  by  her  white  parasol, 
but  I  knew  with  chin  as  high  as  though  she  were 
Marie  Antoinette  herself.  Nor  did  I  feel  much 
happier  than  had  I  been  her  executioner. 


CHAPTER    XXIII 

IN    WHICH    IS    A    PRETTY    KETTLE    OF    FISH 

MISS  Helena  Emory  had  her  artichoke  for  lun 
cheon,  and  judging  from  my  own,  my  boy 
John  never  had  prepared  a  better,  good  as  he  was 
with  artichokes;  but  we  ate  apart,  the  ladies  not 
coming  to  our  table.  It  was  late  afternoon  before 
I  saw  Helena  again,  once  more  come  on  deck.  She 
was  sitting  in  a  steamer  chair  with  her  face  lean 
ing  against  her  hand,  and  looking  out  across  the 
water  at  the  passing  shipping.  She  sat  motionless 
a  long  time,  the  whole  droop  of  her  figure,  the 
poise  of  her  tender  curved  chin,  wistful  and  un 
happy,  although  she  said  no  word.  For  myself, 
I  did  not  accost  her.  I,  too,  looked  up  and  down 
the  great  river,  not  knowing  at  what  moment  some 
discerning  eye  might  spy  us  out,  and  I  longed  for 
nothing  so  much  as  that  night  or  Peterson  would 
come. 

He  did  come  at  last,  late  in  the  afternoon,  on 
an  outbound  train,  and  he  hurried  aboard  as  rapid 
ly  as  he  might.  The  first  thing  he  did  was  to  hand 
me  a  copy  of  an  afternoon  paper.  I  opened  it 
eagerly  enough,  already  well  assured  of  what  news 
it  might  carry. 

205 


206     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

On  the  front  page,  under  a  large,  black  head, 
was  a  despatch  from  Baton  Rogue  relaying  other 
despatches  received  at  that  point,  from  many  points 
between  Plaquimine  and  Bayou  Sara.  These,  in 
short,  told  the  story  of  the  most  high-handed  at 
tempt  at  river  piracy  known  in  recent  years.  The 
private  yacht  of  Calvin  Davidson,  a  wealthy 
northern  business  man,  on  his  way  South  for  the 
winter,  had  been  seized  by  a  band  of  masked 
ruffians,  who  boarded  her  while  the  yacht's  owner 
was  temporarily  absent  on  important  business  in 
the  city  of  Natchez.  These  ruffians,  abandoning 
their  own  boat,  had  at  once  gone  on  down-stream. 
They  had  been  hailed  by  officers  of  Baton  Rouge, 
acting  under  advice  by  wire  from  Mr.  Davidson, 
on  his  way  down  from  Natchez.  The  robber  band 
had  paid  no  attention  to  the  officers  of  the  law, 
but  had  continued  their  course.  In  some  way 
the  stolen  craft  had  mysteriously  disappeared  that 
afternoon  and  night,  nor  had  any  word  of  her 
yet  been  received  from  points  as  far  south  as  Pla 
quimine.  A  bottle  thrown  overboard  by  one  of 
the  prisoners  taken  on  the  yacht  contained  a  mes 
sage  to  Mr.  Davidson,  with  the  request  that  he 
should  meet  the  sender  at  New  Orleans;  but  there 
was  no  signature  to  the  note. 

Many  mysterious  circumstances  surrounded  this 
sensational  piece  of  piracy,  according  to  the  jour- 


A  PRETTY  KETTLE  OF  FISH   207 

nalistic  view-point.  On  board  the  Belle  Helene 
were  two  ladies,  the  beautiful  young  heiress,  Miss 
Helena  Emory,  well  known  in  northern  social 
circles,  and  her  aunt,  Mrs.  Lucinda  Daniver,  widow 
of  the  late  Commodore  Daniver,  United  States 
Navy.  Mr.  Davidson  himself  was  unable  to  assign 
any  reason  for  this  bold  act  of  this  abduction,  al 
though  he  feared  the  worst  for  the  comfort  or 
even  the  safety  of  the  two  ladies,  whose  fate  at 
this  writing  remained  unknown.  The  greatest  mys 
tery  surrounded  the  identity  of  the  leader  of  this 
bold  deed,  whose  name  Mr.  Davidson  could  not  im 
agine.  He  was  reported  to  suspect  that  these  same 
river  pirates,  earlier  in  the  day,  attacked  and  per 
haps  made  away  with  a  friend  of  his  whose  name 
is  not  yet  given.  A  cigarette  case  was  found  in  the 
abandoned  boat,  which  Mr.  Davidson  thought 
looked  somewhat  familiar  to  him,  although  he 
could  not  say  as  to  its  ownership.  He  could  and 
did  aver  positively,  however,  that  a  photograph  in 
a  leather  case  on  the  abandoned  boat  was  a  por 
trait  of  none  other  than  Miss  Helena  Emory,  one 
of  the  captives  made  away  with  by  the  river  ruffi 
ans.  Mr.  Davidson  could  assign  no  explanation 
of  these  circumstances. 

Late.r  despatches  received  at  Baton  Rogue,  so 
the  New  Orleans  journal  said,  might  or  might  not 
clear  up  the  mystery  of  the  stolen  yacht's  dis-~ 


208     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

appearance,  although  the  senders  seemed  much 
excited.  One  story  from  a  down-river  point, 
brought  in  by  an  excited  negro,  told  of  a  dozen 
bottles  found  floating  in  the  bayou.  The  negro, 
however,  had  broken  them  all  open,  and  declared 
they  had  contained  nothing  but  bits  of  paper,  which 
he  had  thrown  away.  He  also  told  a  wild  story 
that  the  plantation  store  at  Hainlin's  Landing,  on 
Bayou  Henry,  had  been  looted  in  broad  daylight, 
by  a  young  man  and  a  boy,  apparently  members 
of  the  pirate  crew.  The  younger  of  the  two  ruffi 
ans  was  masked,  and  on  being  asked  for  pay  for 
gasoline,  refused  it  at  the  point  of  his  weapons, 
declaring  that  pirates  never  paid. 

While  no  attention  should  be  paid  to  rumors 
such  as  the  latter,  the  despatches  went  on  to  say, 
it  was  obvious  that  a  most  high-handed  outrage 
had  been  perpetrated.  It  was  supposed  that  the 
swift  yacht  had  been  hurried  forward,  and  had 
passed  New  Orleans  in  the  night.  Once  out  of 
the  river,  and  among  the  shallow  bays  of  the  Gulf 
Coast,  the  ruffians  might,  perhaps,  for  some  time 
evade  pursuit,  just  as  did  the  craft  of  Jean  Lafitte, 
himself,  a  century  ago.  Meantime,  only  the  great 
est  anxiety  could  pervade  the  hearts  of  the  friends 
of  these  ladies  thus  placed  in  the  power  of  ruth 
less  bandits.  Such  an  outrage  upon  civilization 
could,  of  course,  occur  only  under  the  administra- 


A  PRETTY  KETTLE  OF  FISH   209 

tion  of  the  Republican  party.  The  journal  there 
fore  hoped: — and  so  forth,  and  so  forth. 

"Peterson,"  said  I,  after  digesting  this  interest 
ing  information,  "you've  read  this.  What  have 
you  to  say?" 

Peterson  was  more  despondent  even  than  was 
his  wont.  "It  looks  mighty  bad,  Mr.  Harry,"  said 
he,  "and  I  don't  profess  to  understand  it." 

"Did  you  order  the  supplies?" 

"Oh,  yes,  but  they  may  forget  to  send  them 
after  all." 

"It  is  your  intention  to  stick  by  me,  Peterson?" 

"Well,  there  must  be  some  mistake,"  he  said, 
"but  I  don't  see  what  else  I  can  do." 

"There  is  a  mistake,  Peterson,"  said  I.  "This 
is  more  newspaper  sensation.  Mr.  Davidson  is 
excited  over  something  he  doesn't  understand. 
If  I  had  him  here  now  I  could  explain  it  all  easily. 
But,  before  the  matter  can  be  explained  in  this 
way,  we  must  wait  until  this  excitement  dies  down. 
Why,  at  this  gait,  it  would  hardly  be  safe  for 
either  of  us  to  be  recognized  here  in  town.  We 
might  be  arrested  and  put  to  a  lot  of  trouble.  The 
best  thing  we  can  do  is  to  run  on  down  the  river 
and  wait  until  Davidson  gets  down  and  until  we 
get  this  thing  adjusted.  That  is  why  I  wanted 
the  supplies  to-night." 

"But  suppose  we  are  discovered  to-night?" 


210      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"We  take  that  chance,  but  I  fancy  that  I  have 
certain  legal  rights,  after  all,  and  I  own  this  boat. 
Fortune  favors  the  bold.  I  shall  make  no  attempt 
to  hide,  either  now  or  then,  Peterson.  At  the 
same  time,  while  we  will  not  run  away  from  plain 
sight,  there  is  no  need  to  take  unnecessary  chances. 
Drop  some  white  sail-cloth  over  the  yacht's  name 
on  her  bows,  and  on  the  fantail.  Have  one  or  two 
of  the  boys  go  overboard  in  slings  and  seem  to  be 
painting  her  sides.  That  will  give  the  look  that 
we  are  safe  to  lie  here  some  time — which  is  the 
last  thing  the  Belle  Helene  really  would  do,  or 
will  do.  They  think  we've  run  past  the  city  al 
ready,  and  they'll  be  watching  at  Quarantine,  and 
along  the  Lake  Borgne  Canal.  Most  of  the  yachts 
go  out  that  way,  headed  for  Florida.  We'll  go  the 
other  way.  It's  an  adventure,  Peterson,  and  one 
which  any  viking,  like  yourself,  ought  to  relish." 

"So  I  do,  Mr.  Harry,"  said  he,  "but  I  hardly 
knew  which  course  to  lay/' 

"Blood  will  tell,  Peterson,"  said  I.  "Your 
ancestors  were  Danish  pirates;  mine  were  English 
pirates." 

"For  God's  sake,  Mr.  Harry,  don't  talk  that 
way.  We  musn't  go  against  the  law." 

"I'm  not  sure  that  we  have  as  yet,  Peterson, 
for  the  law  says  nothing  about  abduction  of 
ladies  in  pairs,  or  for  purposes  truly  honorable. 


A  PRETTY  KETTLE  OF  FISH       211 

Frankly,  Peterson — and  because  you've  been  long 
in  my  employ — I'll  tell  you  something.  I  intend 
to  marry  that  young  lady  if  she's  not  already  mar 
ried  to  Mr.  Davidson." 

"Lord,  Mr.  Harry,  she  ain't — at  least  not  since 
she  come  aboard  the  boat." 

"In  that  case,"  said  I,  drawing  a  long  breath, 
"this  is  not  such  a  bad  world  after  all." 

"Not  at  all,  Mr.  Harry.  I  was  going  to  say, 
as  well  be  hung  for  a  sheep  as  a  lamb,  but  of 
course  I  don't  know  about  what  she'll  say.  She 
looks  to  me  like  one  of  these  girls  that's  been  pet 
ted  a  good  deal,  and  Mr.  Harry,  believe  me,  I 
always  fight  shy  of  a  pet  horse,  or  a  pet  boat,  or 
a  pet  woman — they're  always  hard  to  handle,  and 
they  raise  the  devil  when  they  get  a  chance.  I 
hope  you'll  pardon  me,  sir." 

"On  the  contrary,  Peterson,  I  am  grateful  to 
you.  You  are  on  double  pay  from  the  time  I  took 
command.  Moreover,  I  promise  you  the  best 
cruise  we  ever  had  together.  Once  among  the 
shallow  bays  on  the  coast  down  there,  we  can 
take  care  of  ourselves  while  this  chase  cools  down. 
We're  faster  than  anything  on  the  Gulf,  and  draw 
less  water  than  most  of  them  of  anything  like 
our  speed.  You  take  care  of  the  boat  and  I'll 
take  care  of  the  girl — or  try  to.  I  have  attach 
ment  papers  all  made  out,  to  file  on  the  boat  if 


212      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

need  be — and  I  also  have  an  attachment  for  the 
girl,  when  it  comes  to  that." 

The   old  man   shook  his  head.     "I've  got  the 
easiest  job,"  said  he. 


CHAPTER    XXIV 

IN    WHICH    WE    HAVE    A    SENSATION 

WITH  no  more  than  these  slight  precautions 
which  I  have  indicated,  we  lay  all  that  after 
noon  in  plain  view  of  the  world ;  and  because  all  the 
world  could  not  suspect  us  of  such  hardihood,  all 
the  world  went  by  without  suspecting  that  the 
stolen  Belle  Helene,  and  her  ruthless  pirate  crew 
were  there  in  full  sight  and  apparently  inviting  or 
defying  apprehension.  Sometimes  a  passing  craft 
would  salute  us  as  we  lay,  and  we  returned  the 
courtesy  without  fail.  I  know  not  whether  more 
bottles  were  cast  overboard  by  Aunt  Lucinda,  but 
if  so,  we  heard  of  none.  At  last,  after  what 
seemed  days  to  me,  though  no  more  than  hours, 
the  shade  of  twilight  fell  across  the  river,  the  out 
lines  of  the  passing  boats  grew  less  distinct.  Now 
and  again  we  could  hear  the  wail  of  railway 
whistle,  or  see  the  curved  snake  of  the  lighted 
train  dashing  across  the  alluvial  lands  toward  the 
ferry.  Here  and  there,  beyond,  pin  points  of  red 
lights  shone.  At  last  the  night  fell  full,  and, 
gladly  enough,  I  gave  the  order  for  the  continu 
ance  of  our  journey. 

We  slipped  down-stream  gently  and  silently,  yet 
213 


214     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

speedily  withal,  seeking  to  time  our  arrival,  as 
nearly  as  we  might,  to  the  hour  assigned  for  the 
delivery  of  our  supplies  at  the  dock. 

"I'm  none  too  easy  in  my  mind,"  said  my  old 
skipper  to  me,  as  we  stood  together  forward. 

"Why  not,  Peterson?" 

"It's  them  two  boys,"  said  he.  "You  talk  of 
pirates — there's  the  bloodiest  pair  of  pirates  as 
ever  was.  I  hardly  know  whether  my  own  life's 
safe  or  not,  to  hear  them  talk." 

"Never  do  you  mind,  Peterson,"  said  I.  "Those 
boys  may  be  useful  to  us  yet.  The  one  with  blue 
eyes  has  proved  himself  able  to  keep  the  ladies 
in  their  cabin,  and  as  for  the  one  who  was  going 
to  run  you  through  when  we  took  the  boat,  he  still 
may  have  to  work  to  keep  Williams  down  in  the 
engine-room  when  we  make  our  landing." 

"It  may  come  out  all  right,"  said  the  old  man 
gloomily,  "but  sometimes  I  fear  for  the  worst." 

"You  always  do,  Peterson,  and  that  is  no  frame 
of  mind  for  a  healthy  pirate.  But  here  we  are 
below  the  railway  warehouse  district,  and  I  think 
nearly  opposite  slip  K,  where  we  land.  Port  your 
helm,  and  run  in  slow.  We've  got  to  have  gaso 
line,  although  I  must  say  my  two  bullies  took 
aboard  quite  a  store  up  there  at  the  Bayou." 

"Port  it  is,  sir,"  said  Peterson  gloomily,  still 
smoking.  And  he  made  as  neat  a  landing  as  ever 
in  his  life. 


WE  HAVE  A  SENSATION          215 

A  shadowy  form  arose  amidst  the  blackness  of 
the  dock  and  came  directly  forward  to  take  our 
line. 

"Who's  that?"  I  demanded.  "Are  you  from 
Lavallier  and  Thibodeau?" 

"Yes,  M'sieu,"  came  the  answer.  "Those  sup 
ply  is  here." 

"All  right.  Help  him  get  the  stuff  aboard, 
Peterson." 

They  went  about  their  work.  Just  as  turning 
I  saw  standing  at  my  elbow,  the  slight  form  of 
L'Olonnois,  his  arms  folded  and  hat  drawn  upon 
his  brow. 

"Bid  the  varlets  hasten,"  he  hissed  to  me. 
"Time  passes." 

"Back  to  your  post,  L'Olonnois,"  I  rejoined. 
"See  that  the  captives  remain  in  their  room." 

Jean  Lafitte,  too,  proved  unable  to  restrain  his 
curiosity,  and  this  time  his  habit  of  close  ob 
servation  was  of  benefit  in  an  unexpected  way. 

"Hist,  Black  Bart!"  he  whispered  distinctly, 
clutching  my  arm.  "What  boat  is  that?" 

He  pointed  in  the  dim  light  to  a  low  lying,  bat 
tered  power  boat  moored  in  the  same  slip  with 
us.  Something  in  her  look  seemed  familiar. 

"I  can't  see  her  name,"  said  Jean  Lafitte,  "but 
she  looks  a  lot  like  our  own  old  boat." 

I  hastily  stepped  on  the  wharf  and  got  a  closer 
look  in  the  wavering  beams  of  an  arc  light  at  the 


216      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

name  on  the  boat's  bows.  There,  in  indistinct  and 
shaky,  but  unmistakable  characters,  was  the  title 
painted  by  my  young  ruffians,  weeks  earlier — 
Sea  Rover! 

"Jean  Lafitte,"  I  whispered,  "you  are  right,  and 
now  indeed  we  must  have  a  care.  Yon  varlet  has 
beaten  us  into  New  Orleans." 

"Let's  board  her  and  take  her,"  hissed  Jean 
Lafitte.  "We  can  do  it  easy." 

"No,  wait,"  said  I.  "Perhaps  we  can  think  of 
a  better  plan.  Wail  till  we  get  two  drums  of 
gasoline  aboard.  Then  we'll  make  a  run  for  it, 
if  yon  varlet  is  here  on  the  Sea  Rover.  Probably 
not,  for  every  one  seems  gone  to  bed." 

"I'll  find  out,"  said  Jean  Lafitte  boldly,  and 
before  I  could  stop  him  was  gone,  springing  light 
ly  on  the  deck  of  the  Sea  Rover. 

"Hello  in  there,"  he  hailed.  "Are  you  all 
asleep?" 

A  voice  muttered  something  from  the  shallow 
cabin,  I  could  not  tell  what.  "We  got  a  barrel 
of  rum  for  you  from  Thibodeau's,"  said  Jean  La 
fitte. 

"No,  you  ain't.  Must  be  some  mistake,"  said 
a  sleepy  voice;  and  now  a  tousled  head  appeared, 
indistinct  in  the  gloom.  "Anyhow,  I  don't  know 
anything  about  it,  and  it'll  have  to  stay  on  the 
dock  until  morning.  I'm  only  the  engineer,  I 


WE  HAVE  A  SENSATION          217 

come  from  Natchez.  Mr.  Davidson,  he's  up 
town." 

"Oh,  all  right,"  said  Jean  Lafitte,  apparently 
mollified,  and  soon  was  at  my  side  again.  So 
then,  we  had  the  information  we  sought.  I  was 
sure  my  own  engineer,  Williams,  was  busy  as 
usual  below,  oiling  and  polishing  his  double  six 
ties. 

"Hurry  now,"  I  whispered  to  Peterson.  "Get 
that  stuff  aboard  quick.  Don't  forget  the  crates 
of  fruit  and  vegetables." 

We  were  nearly  done  with  this  work,  when  for. 
a  moment  all  seemed  on  the  point  of  going  wrong 
with  us.  I  heard  shufflings  and  door  slammings 
from  the  after  cabin.  "Help!  Help!"  sounded 
the  voice  of  Aunt  Lucinda,  somewhat  muffled.  It 
chanced  that  my  engineer,  Williams,  at  that 
moment  poked  his  head  up  his  ladder  to  get  a 
breath  of  fresh  air. 

"What's  that?"  he  demanded  of  me  as  I  passed. 
"I  thought  I  heard  some  one  calling." 

"Oh,  you  did,  Williams,"  said  I.  "It  was  Mrs. 
Daniver.  She  suffers  much  with  neuralgia  and 
is  in  great  pain.  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  I  should 
have  to  go  up-town  and  get  a  physician  for  her 
even  yet.  But,  Williams,  in  any  case  we'll  be  sail 
ing  soon,  and  I  want  you  to  overhaul  the  screen 
of  the  intake  pipe  for  that  port  boiler.  We're 


218     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

getting  into  very  sandy  waters,  and  of  course  you 
don't  want  anything  to  happen  to  your  engines. 
Can  you  attend  to  that  at  once?" 

"Surely,  sir,"  said  he,  and  went  below  again.  I 
closed  the  hatch  on  him.  Meantime  I  hurried  aft, 
to  see  what  could  be  done  toward  quelling  any 
possible  uproar.  By  blue-eyed  lieutenant,  L'Olon- 
nois,  had  been  as  efficient  in  his  way  as  Jean  La- 
fitte.  Now,  in  full  character,  he  was  enjoying 
himself  immensely.  When  I  saw  him,  he  was 
standing  with  his  feet  spread  wide  apart  in  the 
center  of  the  cabin  floor,  with  drawn  sword  in 
his  hand. 

"Lady,"  said  he,  addressing  himself  to  Aunt 
Lucinda,  "it  irks  me  as  a  gentleman  to  be  rude 
with  one  so  fair,  but  let  me  hear  one  more  word 
from  you,  and  your  life's  blood  shall  dye  the  deck, 
and  you  shall  walk  the  plank  at  the  morning  sun. 
You  deal  with  L'Olonnois,  who  knows  no  fear!" 

Deep  silence,  broken  presently  by  a  little  laugh; 
and  I  heard  Helena's  voice  in  remonstrance. 
"Don't  be  so  silly,  Jimmie!" 

"Silly,  indeed,"  boomed  the  deep  voice  of  Aunt 
Lucinda,  catching  sight  of  me  at  the  door.  "Yon 
der  is  the  villain  who  put  him  up  to  this." 

"Oh,  is  that  you?"  said  Helena,  coming  to 
ward  me.  "Where  are  we,  Harry?" 

"In  the  port  of  New  Orleans,   Miss   Helena," 


WE  HAVE  A  SENSATION          219 

was  my  answer,  "a  city  of  some  three  hundred 
thousand  souls,  noted  for  its  manufacture  of 
sugar,  and  its  large  shipments  abroad  of  the  staple 
cotton." 

"May  I  come  on  deck?"  she  queried  after  a 
while. 

"We  are  alongside  the  levee,  and  there  is  little 
to  see.  We  shall  be  sailing  now  in  a  few  mo 
ments." 

"But  mayn't  I  come  up  and  see  New  Orleans, 
even  for  a  minute  as  we  pass  by?  I'll  be  good." 

"You  may  come  up  under  parole,"  said  I,  throw 
ing  open  the  door.  "But  you  must  bring  your 
aunt's  parole  also.  You  must  give  no  alarm,  for 
we  have  every  reason  here  for  silence." 

She  turned  back  and  held  some  converse  with 
Auntie  Lucinda,  and  by  what  spell  I  know  not, 
won  the  promise  of  the  latter  to  remain  silent  and 
make  no  attempt  at  escape.  A  little  later  she  was 
at  my  side  in  the  dim  light  cast  by  a  flickering 
and  distant  arc  light  at  the  street. 

"I  have  your  word,  then?"  I  demanded  of  her. 

"Yes.  You  can't  blame  me  for  wanting  to  get 
out,  to  see  what  is  going  on." 

"A  great  deal  may  be  going  on  here  any  mo 
ment,"  said  I.  "In  fact,  if  I  could  show  you  the 
evening  newspapers — which  I  purpose  doing  to 
morrow  morning — it  might  seem  to  you  that  a 


220      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

great  deal  already  has  gone  on.  For  one  thing, 
Cal  Davidson  is  in  town  ahead  of  us.  That's  his 
boat  yonder,  rubbing  sides  with  us.  He  doesn't 
know  we're  here.  He  himself  is  off  up-town,  at 
the  Boston  Club,  probably,  or  perhaps  some  of 
the  cafes — he  knows  a  thousand  people  here." 

"So  do  I,  Harry,"  said  she.  "To  think  of  going 
by  in  this  plight!  And  to  think  of  leaving  New 
Orleans  without  even  one  little  supper  at  Luigi's, 
Harry — it  breaks  my  heart." 

"We  are  almost  ready  to  sail,  Helena.  Suppose 
we  see  Luigi's  some  other  time.  Things  are  get 
ting  pretty  close  about  us  here." 

"Any  pirate  should  be  a  man  of  courage,"  said 
she;  "he  should  be  ever  willing  to  take  a  chance." 

"Very  well;  have  I  not  taken  several  chances 
already?" 

"And  again,  a  pirate  ought  to  be  kind  toward 
all  women,  oughtn't  he,  Harry?  I  asked  you  this 
afternoon,  why  couldn't  we  be  friends  again  and 
stop  all  this  foolishness.  Let's  forget  everything 
and  just  be  friends." 

"What!  Again,  Helena?  Have  I  not  tried  that 
and  found  it  a  failure?" 

"You  have  no  courage.  You  are  no  pirate.  I 
challenge  you  to  a  test." 

"What  is  it,  Helena?" 

"Let  us  go   up-town  and   have   a   little   supper 


WE  HAVE  A  SENSATION          221 

at  Luigi's,  the  way  we  used  to,  Harry,  when  we 
really  were  friends." 

"What,  with  Cal  Davidson  loose  in  the  town 
and  his  boat  lying  here?" 

"That  is  the  adventure!" 

"You  would  turn  me  over  to  the  authorities?" 

"No,  but  I  would  sell  my  parole  for  a  mess  of 
woodcock,  Harry."  She  laid  a  hand  upon  my 
arm.  "I  can't  tell  you  how  much  I  want  a  little 
supper  at  Luigi's,  Harry.  I  like  the  Chianti  there. 
Between  us  we  could  afford  thirty  cents  a  bottle, 
could  we  not?  Now,  if  I  gave  my  parole — and 
of  course,  every  one  would  be  here  at  the  boat  just 
the  same —  But  of  course,  I  did  not  expect  you 
would." 

"Why  did  you  not?" 

"Because  it  is  an  adventure,  because  it  will  take 
something  of  real  courage,  I  fancy,  to  meet  a 
risk  like  that!" 

"There  would  be  some  risk  for  us  all,"  said  I 
truly. 

"There  you  go,  balancing  and  not  deciding. 
You  are  no  pirate." 

"What  will  you  give  me  if  I  go,  Helena?" 
said  I. 

"Nothing  beyond  thanking  you.  One  thing, 
you  must  not  think  that  I  would  trick  or  trap 
you." 


222      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"Many  a  criminal  has  been  trapped  by  a  woman 
whom  he  loves,"  said  I  slowly.  ''But  you  would 
not  do  that  if  I  had  your  word,  even  though  you 
hated  me.  And  you  do  hate  me  very  much,  do 
you  not?" 

"Yes,  very  much.  But  if  you  took  me  by  New 
Orleans  without  a  supper  at  Luigi's,  I  should  hate 
you  even  more." 

"Jean — Jean  Lafitte,"  I  called  out  in  a  low  tone 
of  voice. 

"Aye,  aye,  Sir!"  he  saluted,  as  he  came  to  the 
place  where  we  stood,  like  some  seasoned  sailor- 
man,  regardless  of  youthful  hours  of  sleep. 

"I  am  going  up-town  with  the  captive  maiden. 
Do  you  stand  here  on  watch.  We  shall  be  gone 
about  three  hours." 

"Hully  gee!"  ejaculated  Jean  Lafitte,  but  at  once 
he  saluted  again.  "  'Tis  well,  Black  Bart,"  said 
he. 

"Tell  Captain  Peterson  to  let  no  one  come  on 
board  this  boat  under  any  pretense;  nor  must  any 
one  leave  it  until  I  get  back.  If  any  one  asks  for 
me,  say  I'm  up-town." 

"Isn't  Aunt  Lucinda  going,  too?"  demanded 
Helena. 

"She  certainly  is  not!" 

"Is  it — is  it  quite  correct  for  me  to  go  alone 
with  you?" 

» 


WE  HAVE  A  SENSATION  223 

"That  is  your  part  of  the  adventure,  Helena/' 
said  I  calmly.  An  instant  later  I  had  led  her 
across  the  dingy  warehouse  dock,  over  dusty 
streets,  to  a  crooked  street-car  line  over  which  I 
could  hear  approaching  one  of  the  infrequent 
cars. 


CHAPTER  XXV 

IN    WHICH    WE    MEET    THE    OTHER    MAN,    ALSO 
ANOTHER    WOMAN 

LUIGI'S  place,  as  all  men  know,  is  situated 
upon  a  small,  crooked  and  very  dirty  street, 
yet  none  the  less,  it  is  an  abode  of  content 
ment  for  those  who  know  good  living.  When 
Helena  and  I  entered  the  door  I  felt  as  one 
again  at  home.  Here  were  the  sanded  floors, 
the  old  water-bottles,  the  large  chandelier  with 
its  cut  glasses  in  the  middle  of  the  room,  the 
small  tables  with  their  coarse  clean  linen.  The 
same  old  French  waiters  stood  here  and  there 
about,  each  with  impeccable  apron  and  very 
peccable  shoes,  as  is  the  wont  of  all  waiters. 
But  the  waiters  at  Luigi's  are  more  than  wait- 
ters;  they  are  friends,  and  they  never  forget  a 
face.  Therefore,  as  always,  I  had  no  occasion 
for  surprise  when  Jean,  my  waiter  these  many 
years  at  Luigi's,  stepped  forward  as  though  it 
had  been  but  last  week  and  not  three  years  ago 
when  he  had  seen  me.  He  called  me  by  name, 
greeted  me  again  to  his  city,  and  gently  aided 
Helena  with  her  wraps  and  gloves. 

"And  M'sieu  can  not  long  remain  away   from 
us,  forever?"  said  he. 

224    * 


WE  MEET  THE  OTHER  MAN       225 

"It  has  been  three  years,  Jean,"  said  I,  "more 
is  the  pity.  But  now,  I  can  remain  three  hours 
— will  that  serve?  At  the  end  of  that  time 
we  must  away." 

Jean  was  human,  yet  discreet.  He  knew  that 
when  last  he  saw  me  I  was  a  single  man.  Now 
he  had  doubts.  He  stood  hovering  about,  a 
question  on  his  tongue,  smitten  of  admiration 
much  as  had  been  my  dog,  Partial,  at  his  first 
sight  of  Helena.  At  last  he  made  excuse  to 
step  close  behind  my  chair  under  pretense  of 
finding  my  napkin. 

"En  fin,  M'sieu?"  said  he,   smiling. 

"Pas  encore,  Jean!"  I  replied. 

I  saw  a  slow  flush  on  Helena's  cheek,  but 
she  gave  no  other  sign  that  she  had  overheard. 
So  I  began  forthwith  making  much  ado  about 
ordering  our  supper,  which  as  usual  really  was 
much  a  matter  of  Jean's  taste. 

"We  have  to-night  in  the  ice-boxes,  M'sieu," 
said  that  artist,  "some  cock  oysters  which  are 
dreams.  Moreover,  I  have  laid  aside  two  can- 
vasbacks,  the  best  I  ever  saw — it  was  in  the 
hope  that  some  really  good  friend  of  mine 
would  come  in.  Behold,  I  am  happy — I  must 
have  been  expecting  you.  Believe  me,  we 
have  never  had  better  birds  than  these.  They  are 
excellent." 

"Perhaps    the    oysters,    Jean,"    said    I,    "very 


226     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

small  and  dark.  I  presume  possibly  a  very 
small  fillet  of  trout  this  evening,  and  the  sauce 
— you  still  can  make  it,  Jean?  Such  entrees 
as  you  like,  of  course.  But,  since  Mademoi 
selle — "  and  here  I  smiled — "and  I,  also,  are 
very  hungry  this  evening,  we  wish  a  woodcock 
after  the  canvasback,  if  you  do  not  mind.  Per 
haps  it  is  not  too  much?" 

"Mais  non!"  replied  Jean.  "You  are  of  those 
who  know  well  that  to  eat  too  much  is  not  to 
dine  well.  But  I  shall  bring  you  two  oysters, 
mariniere — a  sauce  my  own  wife  invented.  And 
yes,  some  small  bird,  beccasine,  broiled  lightly — 
perhaps  you  will  enjoy  it  after  the  canvasback, 
although  I  assure  you  those  are  excellent  in 
deed.  We  have  few  sweets  here,  as  M'sieu 
knows,  but  cheese,  if  you  like,  and  of  course 
coffee;  and  always  we  have  the  red  wine  which 
I  remember  M'sieu  liked  so  much." 

"It  is  with  you,  Jean,"  said  I.  And  Helena, 
turning,  smiled  upon  him  swiftly,  in  such  fash 
ion  that  he  scarce  touched  the  floor  at  all  as  he 
walked  out  for  his  radishes  and  olives. 

"Isn't  it  nice?"  said  Helena.  "Isn't  it  like 
the  old  times?  I  always  loved  this  old  town. 
It  seems  so  homelike." 

"Please  do  not  use  that  word,  Helena,"  said 
I.  "I  wish  to  be  entirely  happy  to-night,  in  the 


WE  MEET  THE  OTHER  MAN       227 

belief  that  some  time  I  shall  know  what  home 
is." 

"Do  you  think  Jean  knew  me  also?"  she  de 
manded.  "Certainly,  I  have  been  here  also 
before." 

"No  one  who  has  ever  seen  you,  Helena,  ever 
forgets  you.  But  Jean  is,  of  course,  discreet." 

"Suppose  he  knew  that  I  was  here  to-night 
against  my  free  will,  and  only  under  parole?" 

"Jean  is  wise;  he  knows  such  things  ought 
not  to  be,  even  if  they  are.  And  he  understood 
me  when  I  said,  'not  yet.' ' 

"Yes,"  said  she;  "quite  right     Pas  encore!" 

Jean  returned,  and  as  a  special  favor  to  an 
old  patron  asked  us  politely  if  we  would  enjoy 
a  look  through  the  kitchen  and  the  ice-boxes. 
As  usual,  we  accepted  this  invitation,  and 
passed  back  through  the  green  swing  doors, 
following  our  guide  along  the  row  of  charcoal 
fires,  through  a  dingy  room  decorated  with 
shining  coppers  and  bits  of  glass  and  silver. 
These  ice-boxes  were  such  as  to  offer  continual 
delight  to  any  epicure,  what  with  their  rows 
of  fat  clean  fishes  and  crabs  and  oysters,  the 
birds  nicely  plucked,  all  the  dainties  which  this 
rich  market  of  the  South  could  afford,  from 
papabotte  to  terrapin.  Helena  herself  selected 
two  woodcock  and  approved  the  judgment  of 


228      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

Jean  in  canvasback.  Presently  she  turned  to 
me,  a  flush  of  embarrassment  upon  her  face. 

"Harry,"  she  said,  "I  don't  like  to  say  any 
thing,  but  you  know — you've  been  telling  me 
you  were  so  poor.  Now,  a  girl  doesn't  want 
to  make  it  difficult " 

"Mademoiselle,"  said  I,  bowing,  "I  am  quite' 
able  to  foot  the  bill  to-night.  I  had  just  sold 
some  hay  before  I  started  from  home." 

"Well,  I'm  awfully  hungry,"  she  admitted; 
"besides,  it's  such  a  lark." 

"Yes,"  said  I;  and  presently,  as  we  reached 
our  table  again,  I  showed  her  the  afternoon 
papers,  which  as  yet  she  had  not  seen.  She 
read  through  the  account  of  our  escapade,  her 
lips  compressed;  but  presently  she  folded  the 
paper  and  laid  it  down  without  comment. 

"At  any  minute,  you  see,"  said  I,  "I  may  be 
apprehended  and  our  little  supper  brought  to 
an  end.  That  is  why  I  hastened  with  the  order. 
I  do  not  wish  to  hurry  you  in  any  way,  how 
ever,  and  we  shall  use  the  full  three  hours. 
Although,  of  course,  you  see  that  the  bird  of 
time  indeed  is  on  the  wing  to-night,  as  well  as 
those  other  birds  on  the  broilers." 

She  only  looked  at  me  steadily  and  made  no 
comment.  "Once  suspected  here,"  said  I,  "all 
is  over  for  me,  and  you  are  free  again.  It 


MEET  THE  OTHER  MAN       229 


would  be  entirely  easy  for  you  to  make  some 
sign  or  movement  which  I,  perhaps,  could  not 
detect.  Perhaps,  at  any  moment,  some  one  may 
enter  who  knows  you  —  as  I've  said,  no  one  can 
look  at  you  and  forget  you,  Helena.  But 
please  let  none  of  this  affect  your  appetite. 
Our  little  supper  is  our  little  adventure.  I 
hope  you  will  enjoy  both,  my  dear." 

"You  did  take  some  chance,  did  you  not?" 
she  said  slowly. 

"It  might  be  a  chance." 

"But  you  will  be  so  nervous  you  can't  enjoy 
your  spread." 

"Not  in  the  least,  Helena.  A  nervous  man 
has  no  business  in  the  trade  of  piracy;  —  but, 
ah  !  the  fillet  of  trout,  Helena." 

Jean  was  proud  of  his  art,  the  chef  proud 
also,  and  the  chef  knew  we  were  here.  A  gen 
eral  air  of  comfort  seemed  to  settle  down  upon 
our  little  corner  of  the  restaurant,  a  quiet  con 
tentment.  For  the  most  part,  folk  came  here 
who  had  no  hurry  and  no  anxiety,  and  it  was 
a  sort  of  club  for  many  persons  who  knew  how 
to  eat  and  to  live  and  to  enjoy  life  quietly,  as 
life  should  be  enjoyed.  None  dreamed,  of 
course,  that  aught  but  equal  leisure  existed  for 
our  little  table,  where  sat  a  rather  lank  and 
shabby  man  in  flannels,  and  a  very  especially 


230      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

beautiful  young  woman  in  half  evening  dress. 
At  Luigi's,  every  one  is  polite  to  every  one  else, 
and  the  curiosity  is  but  that  of  fraternity.  Per 
haps,  some  eyes  were  cast  our  way,  I  could 
not  tell. 

Jean,  in  slow  solemnity  and  pleasant  ease, 
brought  on  many  things  not  nominated  in  the 
bond.  At  length  he  arranged  his  duck-press 
on  his  little  table  near  us,  and  having  squeezed 
the  elixir  from  the  two  dissected  fowls,  began 
to  stir  the  juices  into  a  sauce  of  his  own,  made 
with  sherry  wine  and  a  touch  of  file,  many 
things  which  Jean  knows  best.  He  was  just 
in  the  act  of  pouring  this  most  delectable  sauce 
over  the  two  bits  of  tender  fowl  upon  our  hot 
plates,  when,  happening  to  look  up,  I  saw 
some  one  entering  the  door. 

"Jean,  if  you  please,"  said  I,  deliberately  pull 
ing  the  coat-rack  in  front  of  our  table,  "Made 
moiselle  perhaps  feels  a  slight  draft.  Would 
you  fetch  a  screen?" 

He  turned.  "Helena,"  said  I,  after  a  mo 
ment,  "now  our  adventure  has  come." 

"What  do  you  mean?"  said  she.  "Why  do 
you  do  that?" — she  nodded  at  the  screen.  "Why, 
I  say?" 

"I   have   your   parole?" 

"Yes."  '  * 

"I   am  glad   it   is   yes!"    said   I.      "You   could 


WE  MEET  THE  OTHER  MAN       231 

break  it  now  and  escape  so  easily.  One  little 
move  on  your  part  and  my  punishment  is  at 
hand." 

"Who  was  it?"  she  asked,  suspecting. 

"No  one  much,"  said  I,  "only  our  esteemed 
friend,  Mr.  Calvin  Davidson,  whose  waistcoat 
I  am  now  wearing.  Some  one  is  with  him,  I 
don't  know  who  it  is.  A  very  nice-looking 
lady,  next  to  the  most  beautiful  woman  in  this 
room,  I  must  say." 

"Let  me  see,"  said  she;  and  I  allowed  her 
to  look  through  the  crack  in  the  screen. 

"She  certainly  is  very  stunning,"  said  I,  "is 
she  not?  Tall,  dark,  a  trifle  superb — I  wonder 
— I  wonder  sometimes,  Helena,  if  Cal  Davidson 
is  true  to  Poll?" 

"Nonsense !"  was  her  retort.  "But  as  you 
say,  here  is  our  adventure,  or  at  least  yours. 
How  do  you  propose  to  get  out  of  it?" 

"I  don't  know  yet,"  said  I.  "Just  at  present 
I  do  not  wish  this  canvasback  to  get  cold.  We 
have  remaining  before  us  two  hours  or  more, 
ample  time  to  make  any  plan  which  may  be 
needed.  Coffee,  I  have  found,  is  excellent  for 
plans.  Let  us  make  no  plans  until  we  have 
had  our  coffee,  after  our  little  dinner.  That  will 
be  an  hour  or  so  yet.  Plenty  of  time  to  plan, 
Helena,"  said  I.  "And  please  do  not  slight  this 
bird — it  is  delicious." 


232      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

Her  eyes  still  were  sparkling.  "I'm  rather 
glad  I  came,"  said  she. 

"So  am  I,  and  I  shall  be  glad  when  we  are 
back.  But  meantime  I  trust  you,  Helena,  ab 
solutely.  I  will  even  tell  you  more.  David 
son's  boat,  the  one  which  we  left  him  instead 
of  the  Belle  Helene,  is  lying  in  the  same  slip 
with  ours,  rubbing  noses  with  our  yacht  yonder, 
as  I  showed  you.  Our  men  have  talked  with 
his.  They  do  not  yet  suspect  that  we  are  the 
vessel  which  everybody  wants  to  find.  I  am 
very  thankful  their  engineer  was  so  sleepy.  I 
learned  there  at  the  wharf  that  Cal  Davidson 
was  down-town  at  his  club.  He  seems  to  have 
departed  long  enough  to  find  excellent  com 
pany,  as  usual.  I  am  glad  that  he  has  done  so, 
for  in  all  likelihood  he  will  not  return  to  his 
own  boat  before  to-morrow  morning.  He  will 
prefer  his  room  at  the  club  to  his  bunk  on  the 
Sea  Rover,  if  I  know  Cal  Davidson.  And  by 
that  time  I  hope  to  be  far  away." 

"Does  he  know  who  you  are — does  he  know 
who  it  was  that  took  the  Belle  Helene?" 

"I  think  not.  But,  very  stupidly — being  so 
anxious  to  see  the  original — I  left  a  photograph 
of  yourself  on  our  old  boat,  the  Sea  Rover. 
Item,  one  cigarette  case  with  my  initials.  Of 
course,  Cal  Davidson  may  guess  the  simple 


WE  MEET  THE  OTHER  MAN       233 

truth,  or  he  may  make  a  mystery  of  these 
things.  It  seems  he  prefers  to  make  a  mystery; 
and  I  am  sure  that  suits  me  much  better." 

"But  knowing  these  things — knowing  that 
his  boat  was  lying  right  at  the  dock  alongside 
of  us — why  did  you  stop?'* 

"I  thought  it  was  you,  Helena,  who  sug 
gested  this  little  adventure  at  Luigi's!  And  I 
promise  you  I  am  enjoying  it  very  much.  It 
seems  so  much  like  old  times." 

"But  that  can't  ever  be  over  again,  Harry." 

"Naturally  not.  But  often  new  times  are 
quite  as  good  as  old  ones.  I  can  conceive  of 
such  a  thing  in  our  case.  No,  I  shall  use  this 
privilege  of  your  society  to  the  limit,  Helena, 
fearing  I  may  not  see  you  soon  again,  after 
once  I  have  put  you  back  in  your  hat  box.  You 
coaxed  me  to  leave  the  boat,  and  I  shall  tell 
you  when  to  return." 

"Why  not  now?" 

"No,  at  twelve  o'clock.     Not  earlier." 

"And  your  propose  sitting  here  with  me  till 
then?" 

"I  could  imagine  no  better  pastime,  were  I 
condemned  to  die  at  sunrise.  Tell  me,  do  you 
wish  me  to  call  Mr.  Davidson?" 

"Of  course  I  do  not,  since  I  gave  you  my 
word.  Besides,  I  know  that  girl  with  him.  It's 


234     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

Sally  Byington.  Some  call  her  good-looking, 
but  I  am  sure  I  don't  know  why." 

"Fie  upon  you!  She  is  superb.  In  short, 
Helena,  I  am  not  sure  but  she  is  finer-looking 
than  yourself!" 

"Indeed!" 

"Yes.  Cal  Davidson,  whatever  may  be  his 
taste  in  neckties  or  waistcoats,  seems  to  me 
excellent  in  this  other  regard.  Perhaps  just  a 
trifle  flamboyant  for  Luigi's,  but  certainly  stun 
ning." 

"Our  relations  are  not  such  as  to  lead  me  to 
discuss  our  friends,"  she  rejoined  haughtily. 
"And,  as  you  say,  our  duck  is  getting  cold.  I 
adore  these  canvasbacks.  I  would  like  to  come 
back  to-morrow  and  have  another."  She  cut 
savagely  into  her  fowl. 

"Alas,  Helena,  to-morrow  you  will  be  far 
away.  In  time  I  hope  to  reconcile  you  to  the 
simple  life  of  piracy.  Indeed,  unless  all  plans 
go  wrong,  we  may  very  likely  have  canvasbacks 
on  the  boat;  although  I  can  not  promise  you 
that  John  will  be  as  good  a  chef  as  our  friend 
here  at  Luigi's.  All  good  buccaneers  use  their 
fair  captives  well." 

"Indeed!  And  why  do  you  not  ask  Sally 
Byington  into  your  list  of  prisoners,  since  you 
fancy  her  so  much." 


WE  MEET  THE  OTHER  MAN      235 

"Nay,  say  not  so,  Helena.  I  trust  I  am 
somewhat  catholic  in  taste  regarding  ladies,  as 
any  gentleman  should  be,  yet  after  all,  I  am 
gentler  in  my  preferences.  Quite  aside  from 
that,  I  find  one  fair  captive  quite  enough  to 
make  me  abundant  trouble." 

At  about  this  time  Jean  approached  behind 
the  screen,  bearing  a  copy  of  a  late  edition  of 
an  evening  paper,  which  fortunately  he  seemed 
not  closely  to  have  scanned.  I  took  it  quickly 
and  placed  it  with  the  front  page  down. 

"Monsieur  no  doubt  has  heard  of  the  great 
sensation?"  commented  Jean. 

"No,   what   is   that,   Jean?" 

"The  papers  have  been  full  of  nothing  else. 
It  seems  a  band  of  cutthroat  river  pirates  have 
stolen  a  gentleman's  yacht,  and  so  far  as  can 
be  told,  have  escaped  with  it  down  the  river, 
perhaps  entirely  to  the  Gulf." 

"That,  Jean,"  said  I,  "is  a  most  extraordinary 
thing.  Are  you  sure  of  the  facts?" 

"Naturally — is  it  not  all  in  the  paper?  This 
gentleman  then  has  his  yacht  anchored  at 
Natchez,  and  he  goes  ashore  on  important  busi 
ness.  Conies  then  this  band  of  river  ruffians 
in  the  dark,  and  as  though  pirates  of  a  hundred 
years  ago,  and  led  by  Jean  Lafitte  himself,  they 
capture  the  vessel!" 


236      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"Mon  Dien!  Jean  you  do  not  say  so?" 

"But  assuredly  I  say  so;  nor  is  that  all,  Mon 
sieur.  On  board  this  yacht  was  a  young  and 
beautiful  lady  of  great  wealth  and  beauty,  as 
well — the  fiancee,  so  it  is  said,  of  this  gentle 
man  who  owns  the  yacht.  What  is  the  action 
of  these  pirates  in  regard  to  this  beautiful 
young  lady  and  her  aunt,  who  also  is  upon  the 
yacht  for  the  cruise?  Do  they  place  these, 
ladies  ashore?  No,  they  imprison  them  upon 
the  boat,  and  so,  pouf!  off  for  the  gulf.  Nor 
has  any  trace  of  them  been  found  from  that 
time  till  now.  A  rumor  goes  that  the  gentle 
man  who  owns  the  yacht  is  at  this  time  in  New 
Orleans,  but  as  for  that  unfortunate  young 
lady,  where  is  she  to-night?  I  demand  that, 
Monsieur.  Ah!  And  she  is  beautiful." 

"Now,  is  not  this  a  most  extraordinary  tale 
you  bring,  Jean?  Let  us  hope  it  is  not  true. 
Why,  if  it  were  true,  that  ruffian  might  escape 
and  hide  for  days  or  weeks  in  the  bayous 
around  Barataria,  even  as  Jean  Lafitte  did  a 
hundred  years  ago." 

"Assuredly  he  might.  Ah,  I  know  it  well, 
that  country.  But  Jean  Lafitte  was  no  pirate, 
simply  a  merchant  who  did  not  pay  duties. 
And  he  sold  silks  and  laces  cheap  to  the  people 
hereabout — I  could  show  you  the  very  cause- 


WE  MEET  THE  OTHER  MAN       237 

way  they  built  across  the  marsh,  to  reach  the 
place  where  he  landed  his  boats  at  the  heads  of 
one  of  the  great  bays — it  is  not  far  from  the 
plantation  of  Monsieur  Edouard  Manning,  below 
New  Iberia.  Believe  me,  Monsieur,  the  country 
folk  hunt  yet  for  the  buried  treasure  of  Jean  La 
fitte;  and  sometimes  they  find  it." 

"You  please  me,  Jean.  Tell  me  more  of 
that  extraordinary  person." 

"Extraordinary,  you  may  call  him,  Monsieur. 
And  he  had  a  way  with  women,  so  it  is  said — • 
even  his  captives  came  to  admire  him  in  time, 
so  generous  and  bold  was  he." 

"A  daredevil  fellow  I  doubt  not,  Jean?" 

"You  may  say  that.  But  of  great  good  and 
many  kindnesses  to  all  the  folk  in  the  lower 
parts  of  this  state  in  times  gone  by.  Now — 
say  it  not  aloud,  Monsieur — scarce  a  family  in 
all  Acadia  but  has  map  and  key  to  some  buried 
treasure  of  Jean  Lafitte.  Why,  Monsieur,  here 
in  this  very  cafe,  once  worked  a  negro  boy. 
He,  being  sick,  I  help  him  as  a  gentleman  does 
those  negro,  to  be  sure,  and  he  was  of  heart 
enough  to  thank  me  for  that.  So  one  day  he 
came  to  me  and  told  me  a  story  of  a  treasure 
of  a  descendant  of  Lafitte.  He  himself,  this 
negro,  had  helped  his  master  to  bury  that  same 
treasure." 


238      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"And  does  he  know  the  place  now?  Could  he 
point  it  out?" 

"Assuredly,  and  the  master  who  buried  it 
now  is  dead." 

"Then  why  does  not  the  negro  boy  go  and 
dig  it  up  again,  very  naturally?" 

"Ah,  for  the  best  reasons.  That  old  French 
man,  descendant  of  Jean  Lafitte,  was  no  fool. 
What  does  he  in  this  burial  of  treasure?  Ah! 
He  takes  him  a  white  parrot,  a  black  cat  and 
a  live  monkey,  and  these  three,  all  of  them,  he 
buries  on  top  of  the  treasure-box  and  covers 
all  with  earth  and  grass  above  the  earth.  And 
then  above  the  grave  he  says  such  a  maledic 
tion  upon  any  who  may  disturb  it  as  would 
alone  frighten  to  the  death  any  person  coming 
there  and  braving  such  a  curse.  I  suggested 
to  the  negro  boy  that  he  should  show  me  the 
spot.  Monsieur,  he  grew  pale  in  terror.  Not 
for  a  million  pounds  of  solid  gold  would  he  go 
near  that  place,  him/' 

"That  also  is  a  most  extrordinary  story, 
Jean.  Taken  with  this  other  fairy  tale  which 
you  have  told  me  to-night,  you  almost  make  me 
feel  that  we  are  back  in  the  great  old  days 
which  this  country  once  saw.  But  alas !" 

"As  you   say,   Monsieur,   alas!" 

"Now  as  to  that  ruffian  who  stole  the  gentle 
man's  yacht,"  I  resumed.  "Has  he  reflected? 


WE  MEET  THE  OTHER  MAN       239 

Has  he  indeed  made  his  way  to  the  Gulf?  Why, 
he  might  even  be  hiding  here  in  the  city  some 
where." 

"Ah,  hardly  that,  and  if  so,  he  well  may  look 
out  for  the  law." 

"I  think  a  sherbet  would  be  excellent  for  the 
lady  now,  Jean,"  I  ventured,  whereat  he  de 
parted.  I  turned  over  the  paper  and  showed 
Helena  her  own  portrait  on  the  front  page, 
four  columns  deep  and  set  in  such  framing  of 
blackfaced  scare  type  as  made  me  blush  for 
my  own  sins. 

"It  is  an  adventure,  Helena!"  said  I.  "Had 
you  not  been  far  the  most  beautiful  woman  in 
this  restaurant  to-night,  and  had  not  Jean  been 
all  eyes  for  you,  he  otherwise  would  have 
looked  at  this  paper  rather  than  at  you.  Then 
he  would  have  looked  at  us  both  and  must 
have  seen  the  truth." 

"It  is  an  adventure,"  said  she  slowly,  her 
color  heightening;  and  later,  "You  carried  it 
off  well,  Harry." 

I  bowed  to  her  across  the  table.  "Need  was 
to  act  quickly,  for  even  this  vile  newspaper 
cut  is  a  likeness  of  you.  One  glance  from  Jean, 
which  may  come  at  any  moment  later,  Helena, 
and  your  parole  will  be  needless  further." 

"I  confess  I  wished  to  test  you.  It  was 
wrong,  foolish  of  me,  Harry." 


1240     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"You  have  been  tested  no  less,  Helena,  to 
night.  And  I  have  found  you  a  gentle  high 
born  lady,  as  I  had  always  known  you  to  be. 
Noblesse  oblige,  my  dear,  and  you  have  proved 
it  so  to-night.  Any  time  from  now  until  twelve 
you  need  no  more  than  raise  a  finger — I  might 
not  even  see  you  do  so — and  you  might  go  free. 
Why  do  you  not?" 

"If  the  woodcock  is  as  good  as  the  canvas- 
back,"  was  her  somewhat  irrelevant  reply,  "I 
shall  call  the  evening  a  success,  after  all." 

But  Helena  scarcely  more  than  tasted  her 
bird,  and  pushed  back  after  a  time  the  broiled 
mushroom  which  Jean  offered  her  gently. 

"Does  not  your  appetite  remain?"  I  inquired. 
"Come,  you  must  not  break  Jean's  heart 
doubly." 

She  only  pushed  back  her  chair.  "I  am 
sorry,"  said  she,  "but  I  want  to  go  back  to 
the  boat." 

"Back  to  the  boat!  You  astonish  me.  I 
thought  escape  from  the  Belle  Helene  was  the 
one  wish  of  your  heart  these  days." 

"And  so  it  is." 

"Then,  Helena,  why  not  escape  here  and 
now?" 

"What  do  you  mean?" 

"I  do  not  mean  for  you  to  break  your  parole 


WE  MEET  THE  OTHER  MAN       241 

— I  know  you  too  well  for  that.  But  give  me 
additional  parole,  my  dear  girl.  Give  me  your 
word.  Say  that  one  word.  Then  we  can  rise 
here  and  announce  to  Mr.  Davidson  and  all  the 
world  and  its  newspapers  that  no  crime  has 
been  done  and  only  a  honeymoon  has  been 
begun.  Come,  Helena,  all  the  world  loves  a 
lover.  All  New  Orleans  will  love  us  if  you 
will  raise  your  finger  and  say  the  word." 

I  looked  toward  her.  Her  head  was  bent 
and  tears  were  dropping  from  her  eyes,  tears 
faithfully  concealed  by  her  kerchief.  But  she 
said  no  word  to  me,  and  at  her  silence  my  own 
heart  sank — sank  until  my  courage  was  quite 
gone,  until  I  felt  the  return  of  a  cold  brutality. 
Still  I  endeavored  to  be  gentle  with  one  who 
deserved  naught  of  gentleness. 

"Do  not  hurry,  Helena,"  I  said.  "We  can 
return  when  you  like.  But  the  salad — and  the 
coffee!  And  see,  you  have  not  touched  your 
wine." 

"Take  me  back,"  she  said,  her  voice  low. 
"I  hate  you.  Till  the  end  of  the  world  I'll  hate 
you." 

"If  I  could  believe  that,  Helena,  it  would 
matter  nothing  to  me  to  go  a  mile  farther  on 
any  voyage,  a  foot  farther  to  shield  myself  or 
you." 


242      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"Take  me  back,"  she  said  to  me  again.  "I 
want  to  go  to  Aunt  Lucinda." 

"Jean/'  said  I,  a  moment  later  when  he  re 
appeared.  "Mademoiselle  wishes  to  see  one 
more  ice-box  in  the  kitchen.  We  are  in  search 
of  something.  May  we  go  again?" 

Jean  spread  out  his  arms  in  surprise,  but 
pushed  open  the  green  door.  We  thus  passed, 
shielded  by  our  screen  and  unobserved.  Once 
within,  I  grasped  Jean  firmly  by  the  shoulder 
and  pressed  a  ten  dollar  bill  into  his  hand,  with 
other  money  for  the  reckoning. 

"Take  this,  Jean,  for  yourself.  We  do  not 
care  to  pass  out  at  the  front,  for  certain  reasons 
— do  you  comprehend?  It  is  of  Mademoiselle." 

"It  is  of  Mademoiselle?  Ah,  depend  upon 
me.  What  can  I  do?" 

"This.  Leave  us  here,  and  we  will  walk 
about.  Meantime  go  out  the  back  way  to  the 
alley,  Jean,  and  have  a  taxicab  ready  at  the 
mouth  of  the  alley.  Come  quick  when  it  is 
arranged  and  let  us  go,  because  we  must  go  at 
once.  At  another  time,  Jean,  we  will  return,  I 
trust  more  happily.  Then  we  shall  order  such 
a  dinner  as  will  take  Luigi  himself  a  day  to 
prepare,  my  friend!" 

"For    Mademoiselle?" 

"For  Madame,  Jean,  as  I  hope."     And  now  I 


WE  MEET  THE  OTHER  MAN       243 

showed  him  the  portrait  on  the  front  page  of 
the  newspaper  he  had  brought  me.  "Quick,"  I 
said,  "and  since  you  have  been  faithful,  some 
day  I  will  explain  all  this  to  you — with  Madame, 
as  I  hope." 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

IN    WHICH    WE    BURN    ALL    BRIDGES 

£6TjUT,    Monsieur,"    began   Jean,    a   few   mo- 

-D  ments  later,  as  he  entered  from  the  alley 
door. 

"Eh  bienf  What  then,  Jean?"  I  demanded 
hastily,  already  leading  Helena  toward  the 
door. 

"This !  This !"  And  he  waved  in  my  face  a 
copy  of  the  same  paper  which  had  lain  on  our 
table.  "The  streets  are  full  of  it.  And  I  see, 
I  beliold — I  recognize!  It  is  Mademoiselle — 
that  is  to  be  Madame!" 

My  face  flushed  hotly.  "As  I  hope,  Jean." 
That  was  all  I  said.  "Now,  please,  out  of  our 
way.  Is  the  taxi  there?" 

He  stepped  aside.  I  heard  his  voice,  eager, 
apologetic,  but  knew  that  now  no  time  must  be 
lost.  Vague  sounds  of  voices  came  to  us  from 
the  main  room  of  the  cafe,  ordinarily  so  quiet. 
I  felt,  rather  than  knew,  that  soon  the  news 
would  be  about  town.  The  throb  of  the  taxi 
was  music  to  my  ears  when  I  found  it  in  the 
dark. 

"Stop  for  nothing,"  said  I  to  the  driver,  as  I 
244 


WE  BURN  ALL  BRIDGES  245 

closed  the  door.  "Slip  K,  on  the  river-front, 
below  the  warehouses.  Stop  at  the  car  tracks 
where  they  turn.  And  go  fast — I  must  catch 
a  boat  that  is  just  leaving." 

"What  boat — from  there — are  you  sure,  sir?" 
asked  he,  touching  his  cap. 

"Of  course  I'm  sure.  Go  on!  Don't  stop 
to  talk,  man!" 

He  made  no  answer  to  this,  but  turned  to  his 
wheel.  We  shot  out  into  Royal  Street,  turned 
down  it,  spun  into  a  narrow  way  past  the  old 
Cathedral,  crossed  Jackson  Square  in  the  full 
moonlight,  passed  the  Old  Market,  and  threaded 
dark  and  dirty  thoroughfares  parallel  to  the 
river.  None  sought  to  stay  us,  though  many 
paused  in  the  gently  squalid  life  of  that  section, 
to  look  after  our  churning  car,  a  thing  not 
usual  there  so  far  from  depot  or  usual  landing 
place. 

Helena  sat  silent,  looking  fixedly  ahead 
through  the  glass  at  the  driver's  back;  nor  did 
I  find  words  myself.  In  truth,  I  was  as  one 
now  carried  forward  on  the  wings  of  adventure 
itself,  with  small  plans,  and  no  duty  beyond 
taking  each  situation  as  it  might  later  come. 
A  dull  feeling  that  I  had  sinned  beyond  for 
giveness  came  upon  me,  a  conviction  that  my 
brutality  to  one  thus  innocent  and  tender  had 


246     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

passed  all  limits  of  atonement.  She  could  never 
forgive  me  now,  I  felt;  and  what  was  almost 
as  intolerable  in  the  reflection,  I  could  not  for 
give  myself,  could  not  find  any  specious  argu 
ment  longer  to  justify  myself  in  thus  harrying 
the  sensibilities  of  a  woman  such  as  this  one 
who  now  sat  beside  me  in  this  mad  midnight 
errand,  proud,  pale  and  silent.  Slowly  I  sought 
to  adjust  myself  to  the  thought  of  defeat,  to 
the  feeling  that  my  presumption  now  had  o'er- 
leaped  itself.  Yes,  I  must  say  good-by  to  her, 
must  release  her;  and  this  time,  as  I  well  knew, 
forever. 

But,  though  I  turned  toward  her  half  a  dozen 
times  in  these  few  minutes,  she  made  no  re 
sponse  to  what  she  must  have  known  was  my 
demand  upon  her  attention.  I  gathered  her 
gloves  for  her,  and  her  flowers,  but  she  only 
took  them,  her  lips  parting  in  courtesy,  not  in 
warmth,  and  no  sound  came  to  my  ears,  strain 
ing  always  to  hear  her  voice,  a  pleasant  sound 
in  a  world  of  discords  ever.  I  even  touched 
her  arm,  suddenly,  impulsively.  "Helena!" 
But  she,  not  knowing  that  I  meant  to  give  her 
liberty,  though  over  a  dead  heart,  shrank  as 
though  I  had  added  physical  insult  to  my 
verbal  taunts.  Anyway  I  turned,  I  was  fast  in 
the  net  of  circumstance,  fanged  by  the  springs 


WE  BURN  ALL  BRIDGES  247 

of  misapprehension.  .  .  .  Well,  then,  but  one 
thing  remained.  She  had  said  it  was  a  man's 
place  to  fight,  and  so  now  it  would  be!  I 
must  go  on,  and  take  my  punishment  until  jus 
tice  had  been  done.  Justice  and  my  own  suc 
cess  I  no  longer  confused  in  my  own  mind; 
but  in  my  soul  was  the  grim  resolution  that 
justice  should  first  be  done  to  one  human  soul, 
even  though  that  chanced  to  be  my  own.  After 
that,  I  should  get  her  again  in  the  hands  of 
her  friends  and  myself;  indeed,  disappear  be 
yond  all  seeking,  in  parts  of  the  world  best 
known  to  myself.  If  I  myself  were  fair,  why 
should  not  fairness  as  well  be  given  to  me? 

And  with  no  more  than  this  established,  and 
nothing  definite  in  plan,  either,  for  the  present, 
I  mechanically  opened  the  door  of  the  taxi  for 
her  when  the  driver  pulled  up  and  bent  a 
querying  face  about  to  ask  whether  or  not  we 
now  were  opposite  Slip  K.  I  noted  that  he 
did  not  at  once  drive  away.  Evidently  he  sat 
for  some  moments  gazing  after  us  as  we  dis 
appeared  in  the  gloom  of  the  river-front.  His 
tale,  as  I  afterward  learned,  enabled  the  morn 
ing  papers  to  print  a  conclusive  story  describ 
ing  the  abduction  of  Miss  Emory  and  her  un 
doubted  retention  on  the  stolen  yacht,  which, 
after  lying  at  or  near  New  Orleans,  some  time 


248     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

that  night,  once  more  mysteriously  had  disap 
peared. 

No  doubt  remained,  according  to  this  new 
story,  that  the  supplies  put  aboard  at  Slip  K 
by  Lavallier  and  Thibodeau  had  gone  to  this 
very  craft,  the  stolen  yacht!  With  this  came 
many  wild  and  confusing  accounts  and  descrip 
tions,  including  a  passionate  interview  with  Mr. 
Calvin  Davidson,  of  New  York,  who  had  an 
nounced  his  intention  of  overhauling  these  ruf 
fians,  at  any  cost  whatsoever;  and  much  coun 
sel  to  the  city  officials,  mingled  with  the  bosom- 
beating  of  one  enterprising  journal  which  de 
clared  it  had  put  in  commission  a  yacht  of  its 
own,  under  charge  of  two  of  its  ablest  report 
ers,  who  had  instructions  to  take  up  the  chase 
and  to  remain  out  until  the  mystery  had  been 
solved  and  this  beautiful  young  woman  had 
been  rescued  from  her  horrible  situation  and 
restored  again  to  her  home.  There  were  more 
portraits  of  Helena — furnished,  most  like,  from 
Cal  Davidson's  collection;  one  also  of  Aunt 
Lucinda  (from  a  photograph  of  far  earlier 
days);  and  lastly,  a  half-page  portrait  of  my 
self,  the  unnamed  ruffian  who  was  the  un 
doubted  leader  in  this  abduction — the  portrait 
being  drawn  by  a  staff  artist  "from  description 
of  eye-witnesses."  As  I  later  saw  this  portrait 


WE  BURN  ALL  BRIDGES  249 

I  rejoiced  that  I  was  long  ignorant  of  its  ex 
istence:  and  had  I  known  that  night  that  yon 
der  chauffeur  to  whom  I  had  given  undue 
largess  had  such  treason  as  that  portrait  in  his 
soul,  I  know  not  what  I  might  have  done  with 
him. 

But  of  this  misinformation,  of  course,  I  was 
at  the  time  ignorant,  as  was  all  the  city  ig 
norant  of  the  truth.  What  happened  was  other 
wise,  nor  was  the  truth  learned  even  by  the 
great  metropolitan  journals  of  the  North,  which 
now  recognized  the  existence  of  a  "big  story", 
and  added  their  keener  noses  to  the  trail.  The 
great  fact  overlooked  by  them  all  was  that 
they  pursued  no  criminal,  but  a  man  of  educa 
tion,  I  may  fairly  say  of  brains. 

In  my  law  practise  many  baffling  cases  came 
to  me,  because  I  most  liked,  precisely,  that  sort 
of  case.  Once,  for  instance,  a  family  of  my 
town  well-nigh  was  disrupted  by  a  series  of 
anonymous  letters,  done  in  typewriting,  accus 
ing  an  honorable  man  of  dishonorable  conduct. 
The  letters  left  the  man's  wife  in  an  agony  of 
loyalty  and  suspicion  alike.  He  brought  me 
the  letters,  and  to  me  the  case  was  simple  from 
the  start.  I  got  the  repair  slips  of  a  certain 
typewriter  house,  and  compared  them  until  I 
found  a  machine  with  a  bent  letter  M — know- 


250      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

ing  as  I  did  that  each  machine  has  its  own  in 
dividuality  as  ineradicable  and  as  inescapable 
as  any  personal  handwriting.  So  at  last  I  went 
to  a  small  outlying  city,  and  going  into  a  busi 
ness  house  there  asked  to  see  the  stenographer 

in  private.  "My  dear  Miss ,"  I  said  to  her, 

"why  do  you  persist  in  sending  these  letters 

to  Mr.  ?"  I  laid  them  before  her,  and 

she  wept  and  confessed,  very  naturally. 

That  was  merely  jealousy  of  a  discharged 
employee;  and  it  was  easy  as  a  case — easier 
I  always  thought,  than  the  probate  case  I  won 
over  a  contested  signature  charge  filed  by  cer 
tain  heirs  under  a  will.  In  this  case  I  merely 
went  to  the  dead  man's  earlier  home  and 
learned  his  history.  Time  out  of  mind  he,  a 
thrifty  and  respected  German,  had  held  some 
petty  county  office  or  other;  and  by  going  over 
old  county  warrants  and  receipts  signed  in 
forty  years  by  my  man,  I  discovered  what  I 
already  knew — that  a  man's  signature  changes 
many  times  during  his  life,  especially  if  he  be 
gins  life  as  an  uncultured  immigrant  and  ad 
vances  to  a  fair  business  success  later  in  his 
life:  so  that  his  later  signatures  on  records 
proved  his  signature  in  his  will. 

Again,  liking  these  simple  mysteries,  I  had 
long  ago  learned  to  laugh  at  the  old  and  foolish 


WE  BURN  ALL  BRIDGES  251 

assertion  that  murder  will  out,  that  not  the 
most  skilful  criminal  can  long  conceal  a  capital 
crime.  It  is  not  true.  No  one  knows  how 
many  murders  and  other  crimes  go  unsolved 
or  even  unknown.  The  trouble  with  murderers, 
as  I  knew  well  enough,  was  that  they  lacked 
mentality.  And  often  I  said  to  myself  that 
were  it  in  my  heart  to  kill  a  man,  I  assuredly 
could  do  so,  and  all  my  life  escape  unsuspected 
of  the  crime. 

It  may  be  that  my  fondness  for  these  less 
obvious  things  in  the  law  had  rendered  me  a 
trifle  different  from  my  fellow  men.  I  could 
never  approach  any  question  in  life  without 
wanting  to  go  all  about  it  and  to  the  bottom 
and  top,  like  a  cooper  with  his  barrel.  I  was 
thus  actuated,  without  doubt,  in  my  relations 
years  since  with  Helena  Emory — I  knew  the 
shrewdness  and  accuracy  of  my  own  trained 
mind.  I  confess  I  exulted  in  the  infallible, 
relentless  logic  of  my  mind,  a  mind  able  and 
well  trained,  especially  well  trained  in  reason 
and  argument.  So,  when  I  put  the  one  great 
brief  of  all  my  life  before  Helena,  my  splendid 
argument  why  should  she  love  me,  I  did  so, 
at  first,  in  the  conviction  that  it  must  be  con 
vincing.  Had  I  not  myself  worked  it  out  in 
each  detail,  had  not  my  calm,  cool,  accurate 


252     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

reason  guarded  each  portal?  Was  it,  indeed, 
not  a  perfect  brief — that  one  I  held  in  my  first 
lost  case — the  lost  case  which  sent  me  out  of 
my  profession,  left  me  a  stranded  hulk  of  a 
man? 

But  then,  when  these  two  pirate  youngsters 
had  found  me  and  touched  me  with  the  living 
point  of  some  new  flame  of  life,  so  that  I  knew 
a  vast  world  existed  beyond  the  nature  of  the 
intellect,  the  old  ways  clung  to  me,  after  all. 
Even  as  I  swore  to  lay  hold  on  youth  and  on 
adventure  (and  on  love,  if,  in  sooth,  that  might 
be  for  me  now),  I  could  not  fight  as  yet  wholly 
bare  of  the  old  weapons  that  had  so  long  fitted 
my  hand.  So,  even  on  that  very  morning  when 
we  set  forth  from  my  farm  to  be  pirates,  my 
mind  ran  back  to  its  old  cunning,  and  I  recalled 
my  earlier  boast  to  myself  that  if  I  ever  cared 
to  be  a  criminal  I  knew  I  could  be  able  to  cover 
my  tracks. 

Those  writing-folk,  therefore,  who  now 
wasted  thousands  of  dollars  in  pursuit  of  trace 
and  trail  of  Black  Bart,  wealthy  ex-lawyer, 
knew  nothing  of  their  man,  and  guessed  noth 
ing  of  his  caliber  or  of  his  methods.  They 
even  failed  to  look  in  plain  sight  for  their  trail 
maker.  And  having  done  so,  they  forgot  that 
water  leaves  no  trail.  Yet  that  simple  thought 


WE  BURN  ALL  BRIDGES  253 

had  come  to  my  mind  as  I  had  sat  at  break 
fast  in  my  own  house,  some  weeks  before  this 
time!  Even  then  I  had  planned  all  this. 

Absorbed  as  I  had  been  in  this  pursuit  of 
Helena,  baffled  as  I  had  been  by  her,  unhappy 
as  I  now  was  over  her  own  unhappiness,  fierce 
as  was  my  love  for  her,  still  and  notwithstand 
ing,  some  trace  of  my  old  self  clung  to  me 
even  now  when,  her  hand  on  my  arm,  I  guided 
Helena  in  silence  over  the  creaking  planks  of 
the  dock,  and  saw,  at  last,  dim  beyond  the 
edge,  the  boom  of  the  Mississippi's  tawny  flood, 
rolling  on  and  onward  to  the  sea.  Here  was 
a  task,  a  problem,  a  chase,  an  endeavor,  an 
adventure !  To  it,  I  was  impelled  by  my  old 
training;  into  it  I  was  thrust  by  all  these 
fevers  of  the  blood.  Even  though  she  did  not 
love  me,  she  was  woman  ...  in  the  dark  air 
of  night,  it  seemed  to  me,  I  could  smell  the 
faint  maddening  fragrance  of  her  hair.  .  .  . 
No.  It  was  too  late!  I  would  not  release 
her.  I  would  go  on,  now! 

And  with  this  resolution,  formed  when  I 
caught  sight  of  the  passing  flood,  I  found  a 
sudden  peace  and  calm,  and  so  knew  that  I 
was  fit  for  my  adventure  as  yon  other  boy, 
L'Olonnois,  was  for  his. 

I  paused  at  the  edge  of  the  wharf,  at  the  side 


254     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

of  our  boat.  We  still  were  arm  in  arm,  still 
silent,  though  she  must  have  felt  the  beating 
of  my  heart. 

"Helena,"  I  whispered,  "yonder,  one  step, 
and  your  parole  is  over.  Here  it  is  not.  That 
boat,  just  astern,  is  the  one  in  which  Cal  David 
son  chased  us  all  the  way  from  Natchez,  in 
which  I  chased  him  all  the  way  from  Dubuque. 
His  men  do  not  know  we  are  here,  nor  does 
he  as  yet.  Now,  what  is  it  that  you  wish  to 
do?" 

She  stood  silent  for  some  time,  tightening 
her  wrap  at  the  throat  against  the  river  damp, 
and  made  no  answer,  though  her  gaze  took  in 
the  dark  hull  of  the  low-lying  craft  made  fast 
below  us.  When  at  last: 

"One  thing,"  she  began,  "I  will  not  do." 

"What  is  it?"  I  asked.  We  spoke  low,  but 
I  well  knew  my  men  were  aware  of  our  coming. 

"I  shall  ask  no  favor  of  you."  And  as  she 
spoke,  she  stepped  lightly  on  the  rubbered  deck 
of  the  Belle  Helene. 

"Halt!  Who  goes  there?"  called  the  hoarse 
voice  of  Jean  Lafitte,  the  faithful:  and  I  knew 
the  joy  of  the  commander  feeling  that  loyalty 
is  his. 

"Tis  I,  Black  Bart,"  I  answered,  full  and 
clear.  "Cast  off,  my  friends!" 

At  once  the  Belle  Helene  was  full  of  activity. 


WE  BURN  ALL  BRIDGES  255 

Peterson  I  met  at  the  wheel.  I  heard  the  bells 
jangle  below.  I  saw  Jean,  active  as  a  cat, 
ready  at  the  mooring-stub,  waiting  for  the  line 
to  ease.  Then  with  my  own  hand  I  threw  on 
every  light  of  the  Belle  Helene,  so  that  she 
blazed,  in  the  power  of  six  thousand  candles, 
search-light  and  all:  so  that  what  had  been  a 
passing  web  of  gloom  now  became  a  rippling 
river.  The  warehouses  started  into  light  and 
shade,  the  shadows  of  the  wharf  fled,  the  decks 
of  the  grimy  craft  alongside  became  open  of 
all  their  secrets. 

And  now,  revealed  full  in  the  flood  of  light 
as  she  stood  at  the  side  portal,  Helena  did 
what  I  had  not  planned.  Freed  of  her  parole 
she  was — and  she  had  asked  no  favor  of  me — 
so  she  had  right  to  make  attempt  to  escape; 
and  I  gently  stepped  before  her  even  as  Jean 
cast  off  and  sprang  aboard:  and  as  I  heard 
L'Olonnois'  voice  imperatively  demanding  si 
lence  of  the  pounding  at  the  after  cabin  door. 
All  at  once,  I  heard  what  Helena  heard — the 
rattle  of  wheels  on  the  stone  flagging  of  the 
street  beyond.  And  then  I  saw  her  fling  back 
her  cloak  and  stand  with  cupped  hands.  Her 
voice  was  high,  clear  and  unwavering,  such 
voice  as  a  pirate's  bride  should  have,  fearless 
and  bold. 

"Ahoy,   there!     Help!     Help!"   she   cried. 


256      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

Some  sort  of  shout  came  from  the  street,  we 
knew  not  from  whom.  A  noise  of  an  opening 
hatch  came  from  the  Sea  Rover  at  our  stern, 
and  a  man's  tousled  head  came  into  view. 

"What's  goin*  on  here,"  he  demanded,  as 
quaveringly  as  querulously. 

I  made  no  answer,  but  saw  our  bows  crawl 
out  and  away,  felt  the  sob  of  the  screws,  the 
arm  of  the  river  also,  and  knew  a  vast  and 
pleasing  content  with  life. 

"L'Olonnois !"  I  called  through  the  megaphone. 

"Aye,  aye,  Sir!"     I  heard  his  piping  rejoinder. 

"Cast  loose  the  stern-chaser  and  fire  her  at 
yon  varlet  if  he  makes  a  move."  I  knew  our 
deck  cannon  was  loaded  with  nothing  more 
deadly  than  newspapers,  but  I  also  knew  that 
valor  feeds  on  action.  Not  that  I  had  given 
orders  to  fire  on  the  world  in  general.  So,  I 
confess,  I  was  somewhat  surprised,  soon  after 
the  shout  of  approval  which  greeted  my  com 
mand,  to  hear  the  air  rent  by  the  astonishing 
reverberation  of  our  Long  Tom,  which  rolled 
like  thunder  all  along  the  river-front,  breaking 
into  a  thousand  echoes  in  the  night. 

I  heard  the  patter  of  feet  along  the  deck, 
and  had  sight  of  Jean  Lafitte  tugging  at  a 
halyard.  Not  content  with  our  defiance  of  law 
and  order,  he  must  needs  break  out  the  Jolly 
Rover  with  its  skull  and  cross-bones.  And  as 


WE  BURN  ALL  BRIDGES  257 

we  swung  swiftly  out  into  midstream,  ablaze 
in  light  from  bow  to  stern,  ghostlike  in  our 
swiftness  and  the  silence  of  our  splendid  en 
gines,  I  had  reason  to  understand  all  the  de 
scriptive  writing  which,  as  I  later  learned, 
greeted  the  defiant  departure  of  this  pirate 
craft  and  its  ruffian  crew.  Thus  I  bade  all  the 
world  come  and  take  from  me  what  I  had 
taken  for  my  own. 

I  stepped  to  the  wheel  with  Peterson,  ex 
pecting  to  find  him  pale  in  consternation.  To 
my  surprise  he  was  calm,  save  for  a  new  glitter 
in  his  eye. 

"There's  nothing  on  the  river  can  touch  her," 
said  he,  as  he  picked  up  his  first  channel  light 
and  called  for  more  speed.  "Let  'em  come!" 

A  sudden  recklessness  had  caught  us  all,  it 
seemed,  the  old  spirit  of  lawless  man  breaking 
the  leash  of  custom.  I  shared  it — with  exulta 
tion  I  knew  I  shared  it  with  these  others.  The 
lust  of  youth  for  adventure  held  us  all,  and  the 
years  were  as  naught. 

I  turned  now  to  find  Helena,  and  met  L'Ol- 
onnois,  his  face  beaming. 

"Wasn't  that  a  peach  of  a  shot?"  said  he. 
"It  would  of  blew  yon  varlet  out  of  the  water, 
if  I'd  had  anything  to  load  with  except  just 
them  marbles.  Are  you  looking  for  Auntie 
Helen?  She  has  just  went  below." 


CHAPTER    XXVII 

IN    WHICH    WE    REACH    THE    SPANISH    MAIN 

IT  was  as  Peterson  had  said — nothing  on 
the  river  could  touch  the  Belle  Helene.  And 
it  also  was  as  I  had  not  said  but  had  thought 
— the  water  left  no  trail.  By  daylight  we  were 
far  below  the  old  battle-field,  far  below  the  old 
forts,  far  below  La  Hache,  and  among  the 
channels  of  the  great  estuary  whose  marshes 
spread  for  scores  of  miles  on  either  hand  im 
penetrably.  Quarantine  lay  yonder,  the  South 
west  Passage  opened  here;  and  on  beyond,  a 
stone's  throw  now  for  a  vessel  logging  our 
smooth  speed,  rolled  the  open  sea.  Arid  still 
there  rose  behind  us  the  smoke  of  no  pursuing 
craft,  nor  did  any  seek  to  bar  our  way.  So  far 
as  I  knew,  the  country  had  not  been  warned 
by  any  wire  down-stream  from  the  city.  We 
saw  to  it  that  no  calling  points  were  passed  in 
daylight.  As  for  the  chance  market  shooter 
paddling  his  log  pirogue  to  his  shooting 
ground  in  the  dawn,  or  the  occasional  sports 
man  of  some  ducking  club  likewise  engaged, 
they  saluted  us  gaily  enough,  but  without  sus 
picion.  Even  had  they  known,  I  doubt 

258 


WE  REACH  THE  MAIN  259 

whether  they  would  have  informed  on  us,  for 
all  the  world  loves  a  lover,  and  these  Southern 
ers  themselves  now  traveled  waters  long  known 
to  adventure  and  romance. 

So  at  last,  as  the  sun  rose,  we  saw  the  last 
low  marshy  points  widen,  flatten  and  recede, 
and  beyond  the  outlying  towers  of  the  lights 
caught  sight  of  lazy  liners  crawling  in,  and 
felt  the  long  throb  of  the  great  Gulf's  pulse, 
and  sniffed  the  salt  of  the  open  sea. 

I  had  not  slept,  nor  had  Peterson,  nor  had 
Williams,  my  engineer.  My  men  never  de 
murred  when  hard  duty  was  asked  of  them, 
but  put  manly  pride  above  union  hours,  I  fancy, 
resolved  to  show  me  they  could  endure  as  long 
as  I.  And  I  asked  none  to  endure  more. 
Moreover,  even  my  pirate  crew  was  seized  of 
some  new  zest.  I  question  whether  either  Jean 
Lafitte  or  Henri  L'Olonnois  slept,  save  in  his 
day  clothing,  that  night  of  our  run  from  New 
Orleans;  for  now,  just  as  we  swept  free  of  the 
last  point,  so  that  we  might  call  that  gulf 
which  but  now  had  been  river,  I  heard  a  sound 
at  my  elbow  as  I  bent  over  a  chart,  and  turned 
to  see  both  my  associates,  the  collars  of  their 
sweaters  turned  up  against  the  damp  chill  of 
the  morning. 

"Where    are    we    now,    Black    Bart?"    asked 


260     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

Jean  Lafitte.  I  could  see  on  his  face  the  mys 
tic  emotion  of  youth,  could  see  his  face  glori 
fied  in  the  uplifting  thrill  of  this  mystery  of 
the  sea  and  the  dawn  and  the  unknown  which 
now  enveloped  us.  "Where  are  we  now?"  he 
asked;  but  it  was  as  though  he  feared  he  slept 
and  dreamed,  and  that  this  wondrous  dream  of 
the  dawn  might  rudely  be  broken  by  some 
command  summoning  him  back  to  life's  routine. 
"Surely  your  soul  should  tell  you,  Jean  La 
fitte,"  said  I,  "for  yonder,  as  I  may  say,  now 
rolls  the  Spanish  Main.  Its  lift  is  now  beneath 
our  feel.  You  are  home  again,  Jean  Lafitte. 
Yonder  are  the  bays  and  bayous  and  channels 
in  the  marshes,  where  your  boats  used  to  hide. 
And  there,  L'Olonnois,  my  hearty,  with  you,  I 
was  used  to  ride  the  open  sea,  toward  the 
Isles  of  Spain,  waiting  for  the  galleons  to 


come." 


"I  know,  I  know!"  said  my  blue-eyed  pirate 
softly  and  reverently;  and  so  true  was  all  his 
note  to  that  inner  struggling  soul  that  lay  both 
in  his  bosom  and  my  own,  that  I  ceased  to 
lament  for  my  sin  in  so  allowing  modern  youth 
to  be  misled,  and  turned  to  him  with  open  hand, 
myself  also  young  with  the  undying  youth  of 
the  world. 

"Many   a   time,   Black   Bart,"   said   L'Olonnois 


WE  REACH  THE  MAIN  261 

solemnly,  "have  we  crowded  on  full  sail  when 
the  lookout  gave  the  word  of  a  prize  a-comin', 
while  we  laid  to  in  some  hidden  channel  over 
yonder." 

"Aye,  aye,  many  a  time,  many  a  time,  my 
hearty." 

" — An'  loosed  the  bow-chaser  an'  shot  away 
her  foremast." 

" — At  almost  the  first  shot,  L'Olonnois." 

" — So  that  her  top  hamper  came  down  in  a 
run  an'  swung  her  broadside  to  our  batteries." 

" — And  we  poured  in  a  hail  of  chain-shot  and 
set  her  hull  afire." 

" — And  then  launched  the  boats  for  the 
boardin'  parties,"  broke  in  Jean  Lafitte,  stand 
ing  on  one  leg  in  his  excitement;  " — an'  so 
made  her  a  prize.  An'  then  we  made  'em  walk 
the  plank  amid  scenes  of  wassail — all  but  the 
fair  captives." 

I  fell  silent.  But  L'Olonnois'  blue  eyes  were 
glowing.  "An'  them  we  surrounded  with  every 
rude  luxury,"  said  he,  "finally  retiring  to  the 
fortresses  of  the  hidden  channels  of  the  coast, 
where  we  defied  all  pursuit.  This  looks  like 
one  of  them  places,  though  I  may  be  mistook," 
he  added  judiciously.  I  shuddered  to  see  how 
Jimmy's  grammar  had  deteriorated  under  my 
care. 


262      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"Yes,"  said  I,  "we  are  now  near  to  several 
of  those  places,  scenes  of  our  bold  deeds.  The 
south  coast  of  Louisiana  lies  on  our  right,  cut 
by  a  thousand  bays  and  channels  deep  enough 
for  hiding  a  pinnace  or  even  a  stout  schooner. 
Yonder,  Jean,  is  Barataria  Bay,  your  old  home. 
Here,  under  my  finger,  is  Cote  Blanche.  Here 
comes  the  Chafalay,  through  its  new  channel — 
all  this  floating  hyacinth,  all  this  red  water, 
comes  from  Texas  soil,  from  the  Red  River, 
now  discharging  in  new  mouths.  Yonder,  west 
of  the  main  boat  channels  that  make  toward 
the  railways  far  inland,  lie  the  salt  reefs  and 
the  live-oak  islands.  Here  is  the  long  key  they 
now  call  Marsh  Island.  It  was  not  an  island 
until  you,  stout  Jean  Lafitte,  ordered  the 
Yankee  Morrison  to  take  a  hundred  black 
slaves  with  spades  and  cut  a  channel  across 
the  neck,  so  that  you  could  get  through  more 
quickly  from  the  Spanish  Main  to  the  hidden 
bayous  where  your  boats  lay  concealed — until 
the  wagons  from  Iberia  could  come  and  traffic 
at  the  causeway  for  your  wares.  Do  you  not 
remember  it  well?" 

"Aye,  that  I  do,  Black  Bart!"  said  he;  and  I 
was  sure  he  did. 

"And  yonder  channel,  once  just  wide  enough 
for  a  yawl,  is  to-day  washed  out  wide  enough 


WE  REACH  THE  MAIN  263 

for  a  fleet  to  pass  through — though  not  deep 
enough.  In  that  fact  now  lies  our  safety." 

"How  do  you  mean,  Black  Bart?"  demanded 
he. 

"Why,  that  all  this  water  over  yonder  west 
of  us  is  so  shallow  that  it  takes  a  wise  oyster 
boat  to  get  through  to  Morgan  City.  The 
shrimpers  who  reap  these  waters,  even  the 
market  shooting  schooners  who  carry  canvas- 
backs  out  of  these  feeding  beds  in  the  marshes, 
have  to  know  the  tides  and  the  winds  as  well, 
and  if  one  be  wrong  the  boat  goes  aground  on 
these  wide  shoals.  Less  than  a  fathom  here 
and  here  and  here  on  the  chart  soundings — 
less  than  that  if  an  offshore  wind  blows." 

"You   mean  we'll   go   aground?" 

"No,  I  mean  that  any  pursuer  very  likely 
would.  The  glass  is  falling  now.  Soon  the 
wind  will  rise.  If  it  comes  offshore  for  five 
hours — and  it  will  wait  for  five  hours  before 
it  does  come  offshore — we  shall  be  safe,  inside, 
at  one  of  your  old  haunts,  Jean  Lafitte;  and 
back  of  us  will  lie  fifty  miles  of  barrier — yon 
varlet  may  well  have  a  care." 

"Yon  varlet  don't  know  where  we  have 
went,"  commented  L'Olonnois  in  his  alarming 
grammar. 

"No,  that  is  true.    The  water  leaves  no  trail. 


264     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

Most  Northerners  go  to  Florida  for  the  winter, 
and  not  to  these  marshes.  Methinks  they  will 
have  a  long  chase." 

"An*  here,"  said  Jean  Lafitte,  with  much  en 
thusiasm,  "we  kin  lie  concealed  an'  dart  out 
on  passin'  craft  that  strike  our  fancy  as  prizes." 

"We   could,"  said  I,  "but  we  will  not." 

"Why  not?"    He  seemed  chilled  by  my  reply. 

"Oh,  we  shall  not  need  to,"  I  hastened  to 
explain.  "We  have  everything  we  need  for  a 
long  stay  here.  We  can  live  chiefly  by  hunt 
ing  and  fishing  for  a  month  or  so,  until " 

"Until  the  fair  captive  has  gave  her  consent," 
broke  in  L'Olonnois,  also  with  enthusiasm. 

"Yes,"  said  I,  endeavoring  a  like  enthusiasm. 
"Or,  at  least,  until  we  find  it  needful  to  go 
inland  to  one  of  the  live-oak  islands.  There 
are  houses  there.  I  know  some  of  the  planters 
over  yonder." 

"Let's  make  them  places  scenes  of  rapeen!" 
suggested  Jean  Lafitte  anxiously.  "They  must 
have  gold  and  jewels.  Besides,  I  bear  it  well 
in  mind,  many  a  time  have  I  and  my  stout  crew 
buried  chests  of  treasure  on  them  islands.  We 
c'd  dig  'em  up.  Maybe  them  folks  has  a'ready 
dug  'em  up.  Then  why  not  search  their  strong 
holds  with  a  stout  party  of  our  own  hardy  bul 
lies,  Black  Bart?" 


WE  REACH  THE  MAIN  265 

"No,"  said  I  mildly;  "for  several  reasons  I 
think  it  best  for  my  hardy  bullies  to  go  and  eat 
some  breakfast  and  then  go  to  sleep.  If  we 
go  into  the  live-oak  heights  above  Cote  Blanche, 
I  think  we'll  only  ask  for  salt.  I  am  almost 
sure,  for  instance,  that  my  friend  Edouard 
Manning,  of  Bon  Secours  plantation,  would  give 
me  salt  if  I  asked  it.  He  has  done  so  before. 
Beshrew  me,  it  should  go  hard  with  him  if  he 
refused." 

"There's  a  barrel  an*  eight  boxes  o*  sacks  o' 
salt  aboard,"  said  the  practical  Jean  Lafitte. 
"What'd  you  want  so  much  salt  for?" 

"'Twas  yon  varlet's  idea,"  said  I,  "when  he 
laid  in  the  ship's  stores.  But  I  had  a  mind 
that,  to  my  taste,  no  salt  is  better  than  that 
made  by  the  Manning  plantation  mines.  But 
now,"  I  added,  "to  your  breakfast,  after  you 
have  bathed." 

"Peterson,"  said  I,  after  they  had  left  me, 
and  pointing  to  the  chart,  "lay  her  west  by 
south.  I  want  to  run  inside  the  Timbalier 
Shoals." 

"Very  shallow  there,  Mr.  Harry — just  look 
at  the  soundings,  sir." 

"That's  why  I  want  to  go.  Hold  on  till 
you  get  the  light  at  this  channel  here,  south 
east  of  the  Cote  Blanche.  You'll  get  a  lot  of 


266      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

floating  hyacinth,  but  do  what  you  can.  I'll 
take  my  trick,  as  soon  as  I  get  a  bite  to  eat. 
By  night  we'll  be  over  our  hurry  and  we  can 
all  arrange  for  better  sleep." 

"And  then — I — ahem!  Mr.  Harry,  what  are 
your  plans?"  He  was  just  a  trifle  troubled 
over  all  this. 

"My  plans,  Peterson,"  said  I,  "are  to  anchor 
off  Timbalier  to-night,  to  anchor  in  this  chan 
nel  of  Cote  Blanche  to-morrow — and  to  eat 
breakfast  now."  Saying  which  I  left  him 
gloomily  shaking  his  head,  but  laying  her  now 
west  by  south  as  I  had  made  the  course. 

"The  glass  is  falling  mighty  fast,  Mr.  Harry," 
he  called  over  his  shoulder  to  me  by  way  of 
encouragement. 


CHAPTER   XXVIII 

IN    WHICH    IS    CERTAIN    POLITE    CONVERSATION 

MY  boy  had  ironed  my  trousers,  that  is  to 
say,  the  trousers  I  had  given  him  the  year 
previous,  and  which  he  now  had  loaned  to  me, 
my  extremity  being  greater  than  his  own.  He 
had  laundered  my  collars — a  most  useful  boy, 
my  China  boy.  I  had,  moreover,  delving  in 
Cal  Davidson's  wardrobe,  discovered  yet  an 
other  waistcoat,  if  possible  more  radiant  even 
than  the  one  with  pink  stripes,  for  that  it  was 
cross  hatched  with  bars  of  pale  pea  green  and 
mauve — I  know  not  from  what  looms  he  ob 
tained  these  wondrous  fabrics.  Thus  bravely 
attired  after  breakfast,  just  before  luncheon, 
indeed,  it  was,  I  felt  emboldened  to  call  upon 
the  captive  ladies  once  more.  With  much 
shame  I  owned  that  I  had  not  seen  Auntie 
Lucinda  for  nearly  two  days — and  with  much 
trepidation,  also,  for  I  knew  not  what  new  bit 
terness  her  soul,  meantime,  might  have  dis 
tilled  into  venom  against  my  coming. 

I  knocked  at  the  door  of  the  ladies'  cabin, 
the  aftermost  suite  on  the  boat,  and,  at  first, 
had  no  answer.  The  door,  naturally,  on  a  boat 

267 


268      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

of  this  size,  would  be  low,  the  roof  rising  above 
decks  no  higher  than  one's  waist;  and  as  I  bent 
to  knock  again,  the  door  of  the  companion 
stairs  was  suddenly  thrust  open  against  my 
face,  and  framed  in  the  opening  thus  made, 
there  appeared  the  august  visage  of  Auntie 
Lucinda  herself. 

"Well,  sir-r-r-r!"  said  she,  after  a  time,  re 
garding  me  sternly.  I  can  by  no  means  repro 
duce  the  awfulness  of  her  "r's." 

"Yes,  madam?"  I  replied  mildly,  holding  my 
nose,  which  had  been  smitten  by  the  door. 

She  made  no  answer,  but  stood,  a  basilisk 
in  mien. 

"I  just  came,  my  dear  Mrs.  Daniver,"  I  be 
gan,  "to  ask  you " 

"And  time  you  did,  sir-r-r-r!  I  was  just  com 
ing  to  ask  you " 

"And  time  you  did,  my  dear  Mrs.  Daniver — 
I  have  missed  you  so  much,  these  several  days. 
So  I  just  called  to  ask  for  your  health." 

"You    need    not    trouble    about    my    health !" 

"But  I  do,  I  do,  madam!  I  give  you  my 
word,  I  was  awake  all  night,  thinking  of — of 
your  neuralgia.  Neuralgia  is  something — • 
something  fierce,  in  a  manner  of  speech — if  one 
has  it  in  the  morning,  my  dear  Mrs.  Daniver." 

"Don't  'dear  Mrs.  Daniver'  me!  I'm  not 
your  dear  Mrs.  Daniver  at  all." 


MORE  POLITE  CONVERSATION     269 

"Then  whose  dear  Mrs.  Daniver  are  you,  my 
dear  Mrs.  Daniver?"  I  rejoined  most  impu 
dently. 

"If  the  poor  dear  Admiral  were  alive,"  said 
she,  sniffing,  "you  should  repent  those  words!" 

"I  wish  the  poor  dear  Admiral  were  here," 
said  I.  "I  should  like  to  ask  an  abler  sailor- 
man  than  Peterson  what  to  do,  with  the  glass 
falling  as  it  is,  and  the  holding  ground  none 
too  good  for  an  anchor.  I  thought  it  just  as 
well  to  come  and  tell  you  to  prepare  for  the 
worst." 

"The  worst — what  do  you  mean?"  She  now 
advanced  three  steps  upward,  so  that  her  shoul 
ders  were  above  the  cabin  door.  Almost  me 
chanically  she  took  my  hand. 

"The  worst  just  now  is  nothing  worse  than 
an  orange  with  ice,  my  dear  Mrs.  Daniver. 
And  I  only  wanted  you  to  come  out  on  deck 
with — Miss  Emory — and  see  how  blue  the  sea 
is." 

She  advanced  another  step,  being  fond  of  an 
iced  orange  at  eleven-thirty.  But  now  she 
paused.  "My  niece  is  resting,"  said  she,  feeling 
her  way. 

"No,  I  am  not,"  I  heard  a  voice  say.  Inad 
vertently  I  turned  and  almost  perforce  glanced 
down  the  cabin  stair.  Helena,  in  a  loose  morn 
ing  wrap  of  pink,  was  lying  on  the  couch.  She 


270      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

now  cast  aside  the  covering  of  eider-down, 
and  shaking  herself  once,  sprang  up  the  stairs, 
so  that  her  dark  hair  appeared  under  Auntie 
Lucinda's  own.  Slowly  that  obstacle  yielded, 
and  both  finally  stood  on  the  after  deck.  The 
soft  wind  caught  the  dark  tendrils  of  Helena's 
hair.  With  one  hand  she  pushed  at  them.  The 
other  caught  her  loose  robe  about  her  softly 
outlined  figure. 

"Helena!"   remarked  her   aunt,   frowning. 

"I  want  an  orange,"  remarked  Miss  Emory, 
addressing  the  impartial  universe,  and  looking 
about  for  John. 

"And  shall  have  it.  But,"  said  I,  finding  a 
soft  rug  at  the  cabin-top,  "I  think  perhaps  you 
may  find  the  air  cool.  Allow  me."  I  handed 
them  chairs,  and  with  a  hand  that  trembled  a 
bit  put  the  soft  covering  over  Helena's  shoul 
ders.  She  drew  it  close  about  her  with  one 
hand,  and  her  dark  hair  flowing  about  her 
cheeks,  found  her  orange  with  the  other  when 
John  came  with  his  tray. 

It  was  a  wondrous  morning  in  early  fall. 
Never  had  a  southern  sky  been  more  blue, 
never  the  little  curling  waves  saucier  on  the 
Gulf.  The  air  was  mild,  just  fresh  enough  for 
zest.  Around  us  circled  many  great  white 
gulls.  Across  the  flats  sailed  a  long  slow  line 


MORE  POLITE  CONVERSATION    271 

of  pelicans;  and  out  yonder,  tossing  up  now 
and  then  like  a  black  floating  blanket,  I  could 
see  a  great  raft  of  wild  duck,  taking  their  mid 
day  rest  in  safety.  All  the  world  seemed  a 
million  miles  away.  Care  did  not  exist.  And 
— so  intimate  and  swiftly  comprehensive  is  the 
human  soul,  especially  the  more  primal  soul 
of  woman — already  and  without  words,  this 
young  woman  seemed  to  feel  the  less  need  of 
conversation,  to  recognize  the  slackening  rein 
of  custom.  So  that  a  rug  and  a  wrapper — 
granted  always  also  an  aunt — seemed  to  her 
not  amiss  as  full  equipment  for  reception  of  a 
morning  caller. 

"A  very  good  orange,"  said  she  at  last. 

"Yes,"  said  her  aunt  promptly;  "I'm  sure  we 
ought  to  thank  Mr.  Davidson  for  them.  He 
was  such  a  good  provider." 

"Except  in  waistcoats,"  I  protested,  casually 
indicating  his  latest  contribution  to  my  ward 
robe.  "Quantity,  yes,  I  grant  that,  but  as  to 
quality,  never !  But  why  speak  ill  of  the  absent, 
especially  regarding  matters  of  an  earlier  and 
bygone  day?  Yon  varlet  no  longer  exists  for 
us — we  no  longer  exist  for  him.  We  have 
passed,  as  two  ships  pass  yonder  in  the  chan 
nel.  I  know  not  what  he  may  be  doing  now, 
unless  carrying  roses  to  Miss  Sally  Byington. 


272      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

Certainly  he  can  not  know  that  I,  his  hated 
rival,  am  safe  from  all  pursuit  behind  the 
Timbalier  Shoals,  and  carrying  oranges  to  a 
young  lady  in  my  belief  almost  as  beautiful  as 
the  beautiful  Sally." 

Aunt  Luanda  turned  upon  me  a  baleful  eye. 
"You  grow  flippant  as  well  as  rude,  sir!  As 
though  you  knew  anything  of  that  Byington 
girl.  I  doubt  if  you  ever  saw  her." 

"Oh,  yes — last  night.  Miss  Emory  and  I 
both  saw  her,  last  night,  at  Luigi's.  As  for 
yon  varlet's  providing,  while  I  would  not  too 
much  criticize  a  man  whose  waistcoats  I  wear 
even  under  protest,  it  is  but  fair  to  say  that 
these  oranges  and  all  the  fresh  things  taken  on 
at  New  Orleans,  are  of  my  providing,  and  not 
his.  He  was  so  busy  providing  other  things 
for  Miss  Sally  Byington." 

"I  don't  think  she  is  so  beautiful,"  said 
Helena,  ceasing  with  her  orange.  "Her  color 
is  so  full.  Very  likely  she'll  be  blowsy  in  a 
few  years." 

"How  can  you  say  so!"  I  rebuked,  with 
much  virtuous  indignation.  But  at  the  time  I 
felt  my  heart  leap  at  sight  of  Helena  herself, 
the  lines  of  her  slim  graceful  figure  defined 
even  under  the  rug  she  had  drawn  about  her 
neck,  the  wind-blown  little  neck  curls  and  the 


MORE  POLITE  CONVERSATION    273 

long  fuller  lock  now  plain  against  her  fresh 
face,  blown  pale  by  the  cool  salt  air  that  sang 
above  us  gently.  I  could  no  longer  even  feign 
an  interest  in  any  other  woman  in  the  world. 
So  very  unconsciously  I  chuckled  to  myself, 
and  Helena  heard  me. 

"You  don't  think  so  yourself!'*  she  remarked. 

"Think  what?" 

"That  she  is  so  beautiful." 

"No,  I  do  not.     Not  as  beautiful  as " 

"Look  at  the  funny  bird !"  said  Helena  sud 
denly.  Yet  I  could  see  nothing  out  of  the  ordi 
nary  in  the  sea-bird  she  pointed  out,  skimming 
and  skipping  close  by. 

"Sir,"  demanded  Aunt  Lucinda,  also  sud 
denly,  "how  long  is  this  to  last?" 

"You  mean  the  orange-dish,  Mrs.  Daniver?" 
I  queried  politely.  "As  long  as  you  like.  I 
also  am  a  good  provider,  although  to  no  credit, 
as  it  seems." 

"You  know  I  do  not  mean  the  oranges,  sir. 
I  mean  this  whole  foolish  business.  You  are 
putting  yourself  liable  to  the  law." 

"So  did  Jean  Lafitte,  over  yonder  in  Bara- 
taria,"  said  I,  "but  he  lived  to  a  ripe  old  age 
and  became  famous.  Why  not  I  as  well?" 

" — You  are  ruining  those  two  boys.  I  weep 
to  think  of  our  poor  Jimmy — why,  he  lords  it 


274      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

about  as  though  he  owned  the  boat.  And 
such  language!" 

"He  shall  own  a  part  of  her  if  he  likes,  if 
all  comes  out  well,"  said  I.  "And  as  for  Jean 
Lafitte,  Junior,  rarely  have  I  seen  a  boy  of 
better  judgment,  cooler  mind,  or  more  talent 
in  machinery.  He  shall  have  an  education,  if 
he  likes;  and  I  know  he  will  like." 

"It  is  wonderful  what  a  waistcoat  will  do 
for  the  imagination,"  remarked  Helena,  wholly 
casually.  I  turned  to  her. 

"I  presume  it  is  Mr.  Davidson  who  is  to  be 
the  fairy  prince,"  added  Aunt  Lucinda. 

"No,  myself,"  I  spoke  quietly.  Aunt  Lucinda 
for  once  was  almost  too  unmistakable  in  her 
sniff  of  scorn. 

"I  admit  it  seems  unlikely,"  said  I.  "Still, 
this  is  a  wonderful  age.  Who  can  say  what 
may  be  gained  by  the  successful  pirate!" 

"You  act  one!"  commented  Aunt  Lucinda. 
"It  is  brutal.  It  is  outrageous.  It  is  abomina 
ble.  No  gentleman  would  be  guilty  of  such 
conduct." 

"I  grant  you,"  said  I,  but  flushed  under  the 
thrust.  "But  I  am  no  longer  a  gentleman 
where  that  conflicts  with  the  purpose  of  my 
piracy.  I  come  of  a  family,  after  all,  madam, 
who  often  have  had  their  way  in  piracy." 


MORE  POLITE  CONVERSATION     275 

"And  left  a  good  useful  business  to  go  away 
to  idleness!  And  now  speak  of  doing  large 
things!  With  whose  money,  pray?" 

"You  are  very  direct,  my  dear  Mrs.  Dani- 
ver,"  said  I  mildly,  "but  the  catechism  is  not 
yet  so  far  along  as  that." 

"But  why  did  you  do  this  crazy  thing?" 

"To  marry  Helena,  and  with  your  free  con 
sent  as  her  next  friend,"  said  I,  swiftly  turning 
to  her.  "Since  I  must  be  equally  frank.  Please 
don't  go!"  I  said  to  Helena,  for  now,  very  pale, 
she  was  starting  toward  the  cabin  door.  But 
she  paid  no  heed  to  me,  and  passed. 

"So  now  you  have  it,  plainly,"  said  I  to  Mrs. 
Daniver. 

She  turned  on  me  a  face  full  of  surprise  and 
anger  mingled.  "How  dare  you,  after  all  that 
has  passed?  You  left  the  girl  years  ago.  You 
have  no  business,  no  fortune,  not  even  the  girl's 
consent.  I'll  not  have  it!  I  love  her."  The 
good  woman's  lips  trembled. 

"So  do  I,"  said  I  gently.  "That  is  why  we 
all  are  here.  It  is  because  of  this  madness 
called  love.  Ah,  Mrs.  Daniver,  if  you  only 
knew!  If  I  could  make  you  know!  But  surely 
you  do  know,  you,  too,  have  loved.  Come, 
may  you  not  love  a  lover,  even  one  like  myself? 
I'll  be  good  to  Helena.  Believe  me,  she  is 


276     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

one  sacred  charge  in  life.  I  love  her.  Not 
worthy  of  her,  no — but  I  love  her." 

"That's  too  late."  But  I  saw  her  face  re 
lent  at  what  she  heard.  "I  have  other  plans. 
And  you  should  have  told  her  what  you  have 
told  me." 

"Ah,  have  I  not?"  But  then  I  suddenly  re 
membered  that,  by  some  reversal  of  my  logical 
mind,  here  I  was,  making  love  to  Auntie  Lu- 
cinda,  whom  I  did  not  love,  whereas  in  the 
past  I  had  spent  much  time  in  mere  arguing 
with  Helena,  whom  I  did  love. 

"I'm  not  sure  that  I've  ever  made  it  plain 
enough  to  her,  that's  true,"  said  I  slowly.  "But 
if  she  gives  me  the  chance,  I'll  spend  all  my 
life  telling  her  that  very  thing.  That,  since 
you  ask  me,  is  why  we  all  are  here — so  that  I 
may  tell  Helena,  and  you,  and  all  the  world, 
that  very  thing.  I  love  her,  very  much." 

"But  suppose  she  does  not  love  you?"  de 
manded  Mrs.  Daniver.  "I'll  say  frankly,  I've 
advised  her  against  you  all  along.  She  ought 
to  marry  a  man  of  some  station  in  the  world." 

"With  money?" 

"You  put  it  baldly,  but— yes." 

"Would   that  be   enough — money?"   I   asked. 

"No.     That  is  not  fair " 

" — Only  honor  between  us  now." 


MORE  POLITE  CONVERSATION    277 

"It  would  go  for  to-day.  Because,  after  all, 
money  means  power,  and  all  of  us  worship 
power,  you  know — success." 

"And  is  that  success — to  have  money,  and 
then  more  money — and  to  go  on,  piling  up 
more  money — to  have  more  summer  places, 
and  more  yachts  like  this,  and  more  city  houses, 
and  more  money,  money,  money — yes,  yes, 
that's  American,  but  is  it  all,  is  it  right,  is  it 
the  real  ambition  for  a  man!  And  does  that 
bring  a  woman  happiness?" 

"What  would  you  do  if  you  had  your  money 
back?"  asked  Mrs.  Daniver.  "You  had  a  for 
tune  from  your  father." 

"What  would  I  do?"  I  rejoined  hotly. 
"What  I  did  do — settle  every  claim  against  his 
honor  as  much  as  against  his  estate — judge  his 
honor  by  my  own  standards,  and  not  his.  Pay 
my  debts — pay  all  my  debts.  It's  independence, 
madam,  and  not  money  that  I  want.  It's  free 
dom,  Mrs.  Daniver,  that  I  want,  and  not  money. 
So  far  as  it  would  be  the  usual  money,  buying 
almost  nothing  that  is  worth  owning,  I  give 
you  my  solemn  oath  I  don't  care  enough  for  it 
to  work  for  it !  So  far  as  it  would  help  me 
be  a  man,  help  me  to  build  my  own  character, 
help  me  build  manhood  and  character  in  my 
country — yes,  I'd  like  it  for  that.  But  if  money 


278     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

were  the  price  of  Helena  herself,  I'd  not  ask 
for  it.  The  man  who  would  court  a  girl  with 
his  money  and  not  his  manhood — the  woman 
who  marries  for  money,  or  the  man  who  does 
— what  use  has  God  Almighty  got  for  either 
of  them?  It's  men  and  women  and  things 
worth  doing  who  make  this  world,  Mrs.  Dani- 
ver.  I  love  her,  so  much,  so  clearly,  so  wholly, 
that  I  think  it  must  be  right.  And  since  you've 
asked  me,  I've  taken  my  man's  chance,  just  to 
get  you  two  alone,  where  I  could  talk  it  over 
with  you  both." 

"It's  been  talked  over,  Harry,"  said  she, 
rather  uncomfortably.  "Why  not  let  the  poor 
child  alone?  Has  it  occurred  to  you  how  ter 
ribly  hard  this  is  for  her?" 

"Yes.  But  she  can  end  it'  easily.  Tell  me, 
is  she  engaged  to  Davidson?" 

"What  difference?" 

"None." 

"Why  ask,  then?" 

"Tell  me!" 

"Well  then,  no,  not  so  far  as  I  know." 

"You   are   sorry?" 

"I  had  hope  for  it.  It  was  all  coming  on  so 
handsomely.  At  Natchez  he  was — he  was, 
well,  you  know " 

"Almost   upon   the   point?" 


MORE  POLITE  CONVERSATION    279 

"Quite  so.  I  thought,  I  believed  that  between 
there  and " 

"Say  between   there  and  Baton   Rouge " 

"Well,  yes " 

"He  would  come  to  the  main  point?" 

"Yes." 

"And  he  did  not?" 

"You  can  best  answer.  It  was  at  Natchez 
that  you  and  those  ruffianly  boys  ran  off  with 
Mr.  Davidson's  boat!" 

"That's  all,  your  Honor,"  I  remarked.  "Take 
the  witness,  Mr.  Davidson !" 

"But  what  right  you  have  to  cross-question 
me,  I  don't  know!"  commented  Mrs.  Daniver, 
addressing  a  passing  sea-gull,  and  pulling  down 
the  corners  of  her  mouth  most  forbiddingly. 

"My  disused  and  forgotten  art  comes  back 
to  me  once  in  a  while,  my  dear  Mrs.  Daniver," 
I  answered  exultantly.  "Pray,  do  you  notice 
how  beautiful  all  the  world  is  this  morning? 
The  sky  is  so  wonderful,  the  sea  so  adorable, 
don't  you  see?" 

"I  see  that  we  are  a  long  way  from  home. 
Tell  me,  are  these  sharks  here?" 

"Oodles,"  said  I,  "and  very  large.  No  use 
trying  to  swim  away.  And  yonder  coast  is 
inhabited  only  by  hostile  cannibals.  Barataria  it 
self,  over  yonder,  is  to-day  no  more  than  a 


280      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

shrimp-fishing  village,  part  Chinese,  part  Greek 
and  part  Sicilian.  The  railway  runs  far  to  the 
north,  and  the  ship  channel  is  far  to  the  east. 
No  one  comes  here.  It  is  days  to  Galveston, 
westward,  and  between  lies  a  maze  of  inter 
locking  channels,  lakes  and  bayous,  where  boats 
once  hid  and  may  hide  again.  Once  we  unship 
our  flag  mast,  and  we  shall  lie  so  saucy  and 
close  that  behind  a  bank  of  rushes  we  never 
would  be  seen.  And  we  do  not  burn  coal,  and 
so  make  no  smoke.  Here  is  my  chosen  hid 
ing  ground.  In  short,  madam,  you  are  in  my 
power!" 

"But   really,    how   far " 

"Since  you  ask,  I  will  answer.  Yonder,  to 
the  westward,  a  bayou  comes  into  Cote  Blanche. 
Follow  that  bayou,  eighty  miles  from  here, 
and  you  come  to  the  house  of  my  friend, 
Edouard  Manning,  the  kindest  man  in  Louis 
iana,  which  is  to  say  much.  I  had  planned  to 
have  the  wedding  there." 

"Your  effrontery  amazes  me — I  doubt  your 
sanity !"  said  Aunt  Lucinda,  horrified.  "But 
what  good  will  all  this  do  you?" 

She  had  a  certain  bravery  all  her  own,  after 
all.  Almost,  I  was  on  the  point  of  telling  her 
the  truth;  which  was  that  I  had  during  the 
long  night  resolved  once  more  to  offer  my 

I 


MORE  POLITE  CONVERSATION    281 

hand  to  Helena,  and  if  she  now  refused  me,  to 
accept  my  fate.  I  would  torture  her  no  more. 
No,  if  now  she  were  still  resolute,  it  was  my 
purpose  to  sail  up  yonder  bayou,  to  land  at 
the  Manning  plantation,  and  there  to  part  for 
ever  from  Helena  and  all  my  friends.  I  knew 
corners  of  the  world  far  enough  that  none 
might  find  me. 

But  I  did  not  tell  Aunt  Lucinda  this.  In 
stead,  I  made  no  answer;  and  we  both  sat  look 
ing  out  over  the  rippling  gulf,  silent  for  some 
time.  I  noted  now  a  faint  haze  on  the  horizon 
inshore,  like  distant  cloud-banks,  not  yet  dis 
tinct  but  advancing.  Aunt  Lucinda,  it  seemed, 
was  watching  something  else  through  the  ship's 
glasses  which  she  had  picked  up  near  by. 

"What  is  that,  over  yonder?"  asked  she — "it 
looks  like  a  wreck  of  some  kind." 

"It  is  a  wreck — that  of  a  lighthouse,"  I  told 
her.  "It  is  lying  flat  on  its  side,  a  poor  atti 
tude  for  a  lighthouse.  The  great  tidal  wave 
of  the  gulf  storm,  four  years  ago,  destroyed  it. 
We  are  now,  to  tell  the  truth,  at  the  edge  of 
that  district  which  causes  the  Weather  Bureau 
much  uncertainty — a  breeding  ground  of  the 
tropical  cyclones  that  break  between  the  Indies 
and  this  coast." 

"And  you  bring  us  here?" 


282      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"Only  to  pass  to  the  inner  channels,  madam, 
where  we  should  be  safer  in  case  of  storm. 
To-night,  we  shall  anchor  in  the  lee  of  a  long 
island,  where  the  lighthouse  is  still  standing,  in 
its  proper  position,  and  where  we  shall  be  safe 
as  a  church." 

"Sharks !  Storms !  Shipwrecks !"  moaned 
she. 

— "And  pirates,"  added  I  gently,  "and  can 
nibals.  Yes,  madam,  your  plight  is  serious,  and 
I  know  not  what  may  come  of  it  all — I  wish 
I  did." 

"Well,  no  good  will  come  of  it,  one  thing 
sure,"  said  Aunt  Lucinda,  preparing  to  weep. 

And  indeed,  an  instant  later,  my  mournful 
skipper  seemed  to  bear  her  out.  I  saw  Peter 
son  standing  expectant,  a  little  forward,  now. 

"Well,  Peterson?"     I  rose  and  went  to  him. 

"I  beg  pardon,  sir,  Mr.  Harry,"  said  he 
somewhat  anxiously,  "but  weVe  bent  her  port 
shaft  on  a  cursed  oyster  reef." 

"Very  well,  Peterson.  Suppose  we  run  with 
the  starboard  screw." 

"And  the  intake's  clogged  again  with  this 
cursed  fine  sand  we've  picked  up." 

"After  I  warned  Williams?" 

"Yes,  sir.     And  that's  not  the  worst,  sir." 

"Indeed?    You  must  be  happy,  Peterson!" 


MORE  POLITE  CONVERSATION    283 

"We  can't  log  over  eight  knots  now,  and  it's 
sixty  miles  to  our  light  back  of  the  big  key." 

"Excellent,   Peterson!" 

"And  the  glass  is  falling  mighty  fast." 

"In  that  case,  Peterson,"  said  I,  "the  best 
thing  you  can  do  is  to  hold  your  course,  and 
the  best  thing  I  can  do  is  to  get  ready  for 
lunch." 

"The  best  thing  either  of  us  can  do  is  to  get 
some  sleep,"  said  he,  "for  we  may  not  get 
much  to-night.  She'll  break  somewhere  after  sun 
set  to-night,  very  likely." 

"Peterson,"  said  I,  "let  us  hope  for  the 
worst." 

All  the  same,  I  did  not  wholly  like  the  look 
of  things,  for  I  had  seen  these  swift  gulf 
storms  before.  A  sudden  sinking  of  the  heart 
came  over  me.  What  if  my  madness,  indeed, 
should  come  to  mean  peril  to  her?  Swiftly  I 
stepped  back  to  the  door  of  the  ladies'  cabin, 
where  Mrs.  Daniver  now  disappeared.  "Hele 
na!"  I  cried. 

"Yes?"  I  heard  her  answer  as  she  stepped 
toward  the  little  stair. 

"Did  you   say  'Yes'?"  I   rejoined    suddenly. 

"No,  I  did  not!  I  only  meant  to  ask  what 
you  wanted." 

"As   though  you   did   not  know!     I   wanted 


284      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

only  to  call  you  to  get  ready  for  luncheon. 
One  of  the  owners  of  this  waistcoat  has  pro 
vided  a  pompano,  not  to  mention  some  excel 
lent  endive.  And  the  weather  is  fine,  isn't  it?" 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

IN    WHICH    IS    SHIPWRECK 

IT  must  be  understood  that  our  party  on  the 
Belle  Helene  was  divided  into  two,  or 
rather,  indeed,  three  camps,  each  somewhat 
sharply  defined  and  each  somewhat  ignorant 
of  the  other's  doings  in  detail.  The  combina 
tion  of  either  two  against  the  other,  in  organ 
ized  mutiny,  might  very  well  prove  successful, 
wherefore  it  was  my  task  to  keep  all  apart  by 
virtue  of  the  authority  which  I  had  myself 
usurped.  The  midship's  cabin  suite,  of  three 
rooms,  was  occupied  by  myself  and  my  two 
bold  young  mates — when  the  latter  were  not 
elsewhere  engaged.  We  made  what  might  be 
called  the  ruling  classes.  Forward  of  our  cabin, 
and  accessible  only  from  the  deck,  was  the 
engine-room  where  Williams  worked,  and  off 
this  were  two  bunks,  well  ventilated  and  very 
comfortable,  occupied  by  Williams  and  Peter 
son.  Forward  of  this,  and  also  accessible  only 
from  the  deck,  lay  the  dining  saloon,  with  its 
fixed  table,  its  cupboards,  dish  racks  and  wine- 
room.  In  her  bows  and  below  the  saloon  was 
the  cook's  gallery,  a  dumb-waiter  running  be- 

285 


286     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

tween;  and  the  sleeping  quarters  of  John,  the 
cook,  and  Willy,  the  deck-hand,  were  in  the 
forecastle  below.  This  left  the  two  captives 
all  the  after  part  of  the  ship  pretty  much  to 
themselves,  and  as  the  after-suite  of  cabins  was 
roomy  and  fitted  with  every  modern  nautical 
luxury,  they  lacked  neither  freedom  nor  com 
fort,  so  far  as  these  may  obtain  on  shipboard. 
Obviously,  I  said  little  to  the  ship's  crew,  ex 
cept  to  Peterson,  and  my  two  mates  had  orders 
to  keep  to  their  own  part  of  the  ship,  under  my 
eye. 

Thus,  like  ancient  Gaul,  divided  into  three 
parts,  we  sailed  on  our  wholly  indefinite  voy 
age;  and  all  I  could  do  was  to  live  from  day 
to  day,  or  hour  to  hour.  I  was  content,  for 
Helena  was  there.  Indeed,  I  question  if,  these 
last  three  years,  her  image  had  not  been  al 
ways  present  in  my  consciousness;  such  are  the 
fevers  of  our  unreasoning  blood,  such  the  power 
of  that  madness  known  as  love. 

But,  thus  divided  as  was  our  company,  I  had 
none  such  excellent  opportunity  for  often  see 
ing  Helena,  as  might  at  first  be  supposed.  She 
and  her  aunt  refused  to  join  us  at  any  meal  in 
the  dining  saloon;  although,  now  and  then, 
they  came  for  breakfast  to  what  Auntie  Lucin- 
da  with  scorn  called  the  "second  table".  It 


SHIPWRECK  287 

was  not  feasible  for  me,  often,  to  do  more  than 
call  of  a  morning  to  inquire  if  all  was  well 
with  them;  and  conversation  through  a  lead- 
glass  transom  is  not  what  one  would  call  inti 
mate.  Helena  could  bar  her  door  if  she  liked 
in  more  ways  than  one;  and  against  the  fences 
that  she  raised  against  me  one  way  or  another, 
what  with  headaches,  whims  or  Aunt  Lucinda, 
I  had  now  no  chance  to  meet  her  alone  save 
as  she  herself  might  dictate.  So  that,  after 
all,  though  now  I  stood  as  commander  of  the 
Belle  Helene  in  place  of  yon  varlet,  Cal  David 
son,  although  I  ate  his  ship's  stores,  wore,  in 
deed,  his  waistcoats  and  his  neckties  when  that 
was  humanly  possible,  I  was  his  successor  only 
and  not  his  equal.  He  could — nay,  had  done 
so — meet  Helena  as  he  liked,  at  meals,  on  deck, 
on  a  thousand  errands,  whereas  I  was  helpless 
to  do  so.  He  could  talk  with  her  all  over  the 
ship,  take  her  alone  on  deck  of  a  moonlit  night, 
listen  to  her  sing,  gaze — oh,  curse  him! — on 
the  little  curls  on  Helena's  neck — but  no!  I 
could  not  endure  that  thought.  The  round 
white  neck,  the  white  shoulders,  the  soft  curves 
beneath  the  peignoir's  careless  irreverences — 
why,  it  was  an  intolerable  thought  that  any 
man  should  raise  eye  or  heart  or  thought  to 
Helena,  save  myself.  So,  this  morning,  after 


288     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

that  rare  and  unconventional  meeting  on  the 
after  deck,  one  easily  may  see  how  much  I 
wished  all  Gaul  were  divided  into  but  two  parts, 
and  that  the  occupants  of  the  reserved  after 
cabin  would  come  to  lunch  in  the  saloon  with 
their  captors,  Black  Bart,  Jean  Lafitte  and  Henri 
L'Olonnois. 

Now,  'tis  an  odd  thing,  but  one  of  my  super 
stitions,  that  when  we  wish  much  and  fervently 
and  cleanly  for  any  certain  thing,  one  day  that 
thing  is  ours.  Some  day,  some  time,  some 
hour  or  instant,  our  dear  desire,  our  coveted 
thing,  our  wish,  comes  and  flutters  and  alights 
at  our  side;  if  really  we  have  deserved  it  and 
have  wished  long  and  deeply  and  honestly  and 
purposefully.  You  ask  proof?  Well,  then, 
hardly  had  we  three,  Black  Bart,  Jean  Lafitte 
and  Henri  L'Olonnois,  seated  ourselves  at  table 
for  luncheon  that  day  before  I  became  sensible 
of  a  faint  shadow  at  the  saloon  stair.  I  saw  a 
trim  boot  and  a  substantial  ankle  which  I  knew 
belonged  to  Aunt  Lucinda;  and  then  I  looked 
up  and  saw  on  the  deck  Helena  also,  stooped, 
her  clean-cut  head,  with  its  blown  dark  hair, 
visible  against  the  blue  sky. 

"May  I  come  in?"  she  asked  gaily  enough. 
And  I  reached  up  next  to  her  to  hand  her 
down,  and  smooth  down  her  skirt  for  her  at 
the  rather  awkward  narrow  stair. 


SHIPWRECK  289 

"You  are  always  invited,"  said  I,  and  perhaps 
I  flushed  in  my  pleasure.  "John,"  I  called 
down  the  tube,  "two  more — the  ladies."  And 
I  heard  his  calm  "All  lite." 

My  young  gentlemen  had  risen,  politely,  but 
Helena  gently  pushed  them  down  into  their 
places.  "Be  seated  here,  ladies,"  said  I.  "These 
places  are,  as  you  see,  always  spread  for  you. 
Your  covers  wait.  And  all  the  ship's  silver 
shall  see  duty  now.  L'Olonnois,  my  hearty, 
you  and  I  shall  serve,  eh?  I  am,  indeed,  de 
lighted — greatly  delighted — I  shall  not  inquire,  I 
shall  only  hope." 

"Well,"  boomed  the  deep  voice  of  Auntie 
Lucinda,  "we  came  because  we  did  not  like  the 
look  of  things." 

"To  be  sure,  things  are  not  looking  bully," 
I  assented  vaguely. 

"I  mean  the  weather.  It's  getting  black,  and 
it's  colder.  And  after  what  you  told  me  about 
the  storms,  and  that  lighthouse  being  blown 
down " 

"My  dear  Mrs.  Daniver,"  said  I,  helping  her 
to  her  chair  while  L'Olonnois  served  his  Auntie 
Helena  in  like  fashion,  "you  really  must  not 
take  one  too  seriously.  That  lighthouse  fell 
over  of  its  own  weight — the  contractor's  work 
was  done  shamefully." 

"But  you  said  it  blew,"  ventured  Helena. 


290     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"It  blows,  a  little,  now  and  then,  to  be  sure, 
but  never  very  much,  only  enough  to  enable 
the  oyster  boats  and  shrimpers  to  get  in.  How 
could  we  have  oysters  without  a  sailing 
breeze?" 

"It's  more  than  a  breeze,"  said  Aunt  Lucin- 
da.  "My  neuralgia  tells  me " 

"It  is  fortunate  that  you  honored  us,  my  dear 
Mrs.  Daniver,"  said  I,  "for  I  have  here  in  the 
cooler  a  bottle  of  ninety-three.  I  had  an  inspira 
tion.  I  knew  you  would  come,  for  nothing  in  the 
world  could  have  pleased  me  so  much." 

I  was  looking  at  Helena,  whose  eyes  were 
cast  down.  I  observed  now  that  she  was  in 
somewhat  elegant  morning  costume,  her  bridge 
coat  of  Vienna  lace,  caught  with  a  wide  bar 
of  plain  gold,  covering  some  soft  and  shim 
mering  tinder-bodice  which  fitted  closely 
enough  to  be  formal.  And  I  saw  she  had  on 
many  rings,  and  that  her  throat  sparkled  under 
a  circlet  of  gems. 

She  must  have  caught  my  glance  of  surprise, 
for  she  said  nervously,  "You  think  we  are 
overplaying  our  return  call?  Well,  the  truth 
is,  we're  afraid." 

"So  then?" — and   I   bowed. 

"So  then   I   fished   out   all   my  jewelry." 

"We    are    honored." 


SHIPWRECK  291 

"Well,  I  didn't  know  what  might  happen. 

If  one  should  be  shipwrecked "  I  caught 

her  frightened  gaze  out  an  open  port,  perfectly 
aware  myself  of  the  swift  weather  change. 

"There  is  nothing  like  dressing  the  part  of 
the  shipwrecked,"  said  I.  "For  myself,  these 
same  flannels  will  do." 

"Pshaw!"  said  young  L'Olonnois,  "suppose 
she  does  pitch  a  little — it  ain't  any  worse'n  on 
the  Mauretania  when  we  went  across.  "I  ain't 
scared,  are  you,  John?" 

"No,"  replied  Jean  Lafitte  shyly.  He  was 
almost  overawed  with  the  ladies.  But  I  liked 
the  look  of  his  eye  now. 

"She's  not  as  big  as  the  Mauretania"  said  He 
lena,  fixing  L'Olonnois'  collar  for  him. 

"I'm  sure  she's  going  to  roll  horribly,"  added 
Aunt  Lucinda.  "And  if  I  should  be  seasick, 
with  my  neuralgia,  I'm  sure  I  don't  know  what 
I  should  do." 

"/  know!"  remarked  L'Olonnois;  and  Helena 
promptly  dropped  her  hand  over  his  mouth. 

"Let  us  not  think  of  storm  and  shipwreck," 
said  I,  "at  least  until  they  come.  I  want  to  ask 
your  attention  to  John's  imitation  of  Luigi's 
oysters  a  la  marinierc.  The  oysters  are  of  our 
own  catching  this  morning.  For,  you  must  know, 
the  water  hereabout  is  very  shallow,  and  is  full  of 
oysters." 


292     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"You  said  full  of  sharks,"  corrected  Aunt 
Lucinda. 

"Did  I?  I  meant  oysters."  And  I  helped 
her  to  some  from  the  dumb-waiter  and  uncorked 
the  very  last  bottle  of  the  ninety-three  left  in 
the  case.  "And  as  for  this  storm  of  which  you 
speak,  ladies,"  I  added  as  I  poured,  "I  would 
there  might  come  every  day  as  ill  a  wind  if 
it  would  blow  me  as  great  a  good  as  yourselves 
for  luncheon." 

"Yes,"  said  L'Olonnois  brightly,  "you  might 
blow  in  oncet  in  a  while  an*  see  us  fellers.  I 

told  Black  Bart  that  captives "  but  here  I 

kicked  Jimmy  under  the  table.  Poor  chap, 
what  with  his  Auntie  Helena's  hand  at  one 
extremity  and  my  boot  at  the  other,  he  was 
strained  in  his  conversation,  and  in  disgust, 
joined  Jean  Lafitte  in  complete  silence  and  oys 
ters. 

"Really,"  and  Helena  raised  her  eyes,  "isn't 
it  growing  colder?" 

"Jean,  close  the  port  behind  Miss  Emory," 
said  I.  It  was  plain  enough  to  my  mind  that 
a  blue  norther  was  breaking,  with  its  swift 
drop  in  temperature  and  its  possibly  high  wind. 

"The  table's  actin'  funny,"  commented  Jean 
Lafitte  presently.  He  had  never  been  at  sea 
before. 

"Yes,"  said  Aunt  Lucinda,  twith  yery  much 


SHIPWRECK  293 

— too  much — dignity.  "If  you  all  will  please 
excuse  me,  I  think  I  shall  go  back  to  the  cabin. 
Helena!" 

"Go  with  Mrs.  Daniver  at  once,  Jimmy," 
said  I  to  L'Olonnois. 

"Aye,  aye,  Sir!"  saluted  he  joyously;  and 
added  aside  as  he  passed  me,  "Hope  the  old 
girl's  going  to  be  good  an*  sick!" 

I  could  see  Peterson  standing  near  the  sa 
loon's  door,  and  bethought  me  to  send  Jean 
Lafitte  up  to  aid  him  in  making  all  shipshape. 
We  were  beginning  to  roll;  and  I  missed  the 
smooth  thrust  of  both  our  propellers,  although 
now  the  engines  were  purring  smoothly 
enough.  Thus  by  mere  chance,  I  found  myself 
alone  with  Helena.  I  put  out  a  hand  to  steady 
her  as  she  rose. 

"Is  it  really  going  to  be  bad?"  she  inquired 
anxiously.  "Auntie  gets  so  sick." 

"It  will  be  rough,  for  three  hours  yet,"  I 
admitted.  "She's  not  so  big  as  the  Mauretania, 
but  as  well  built  for  her  tonnage.  You  couldn't 
pound  her  apart,  no  matter  what  came — she's 
oak  and  cedar,  through  and  through,  and  every 
point " 

"You've  studied  her  well,  since  you — since 
you  came  aboard?" 

— "Yes,  yes,  to  be  sure  I  have.     And  she's 


294     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

worth  her  name.  Don't  you  think  it  was 
mighty  fine  of — of  Mr.  Davidson  to  name  her 
after  you — the  Belle  Hclenef" 

"He   never  did.     If  he  had,   why?" 

"Don't  ask  such  questions,  with  the  glass 
falling  as  it  is,"  I  said,  pulling  up  the  racks  to 
restrain  the  dancing  tumblers. 

"Oh,  don't  joke!"   she   said.     "Harry!" 

"Yes,   Helena,"  said  I. 

"I'm  afraid!" 

"Why?" 

"I  don't  know.  But  we  seem  so  little  and 
the  sea  so  big.  And  it's  getting  black,  and  the 
fog  is  coming.  Look — you  can't  see  the  shore 
line  any  more  now." 

It  was  as  she  said.  The  swift  bank  of  vapor 
had  blotted  out  the  low-lying  shores  entirely. 
We  sailed  now  in  a  narrowing  circle  of  mist. 
I  saw  thin  points  of  moisture  on  the  port 
lights.  And  now  I  began  to  close  the  ports. 

"There  is  danger!"  she  reiterated. 

"All  horses  can  run  away,  all  auto  cars  can 
blow  up.  all  boats  can  sink.  But  we  have  as 
good  charts  and  compasses  as  the  Mauritania,  and 
in  three  hours " 

"But  much  can  happen  in  three  hours." 

"Much  has  happened  in  less  time.  It  did 
not  take  me  so  long  as  that  to  love  you,  Hele- 


SHIPWRECK  295 

na,  and  that  I  have  not  forgotten  in  more  than 
five  years.  Five  years,  Helena.  And  as  to 
shipwreck,  what  does  one  more  matter?  It  is 
you  who  have  made  shipwreck  of  a  man's  life. 
Take  shame  for  that.'* 

"Take  shame  yourself,  to  talk  in  this  way  to 
me,  when  I  am  helpless,  when  I  can't  get 
away,  when  I'm  troubled  and  frightened  half 
to  death?  Ah,  fine  of  you  to  persecute  a 
girl!"  She  sobbed,  choking  a  little,  but  her 
head  high.  "Let  me  out,  I'm  going  to  Auntie 
Lucinda.  I  hate  you  more  and  more.  If  I 
were  to  drown,  I'd  not  take  aid  from  you." 

"Do  you  mean  that,  Helena?"  I  asked,  more 
than  the  chill  of  the  norther  in  my  blood. 

"Yes,  I  mean  it.     You  are  a  co^vard^ 

I  stood  for  quite  a  time  between  her  and 
the  companion  stair,  my  hand  still  offering  aid 
as  she  swayed  in  the  boat's  roll  now.  I  was 
thinking,  and  I  was  very  sad. 

"Helena,"  said  I,  "perhaps  you  have  won. 
That's  a  hard  word  to  take  from  man  or 
woman.  If  it  is  in  any  way  true,  you  have 
won  and  I  have  lost,  and  deserved  to  lose.  But 
now,  since  little  else  remains,  let  me  arrange 
matters  as  simply  as  I  can.  I'll  admit  there's 
an  element  of  risk  in  our  situation — one  screw 
is  out  of  commission,  and  one  engine  might  be 


296     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

better.  If  we  missed  the  channel  west  of  the 
shoals,  we  might  go  aground — I  hope  not. 
Whether  we  do  or  not,  I  want  to  tell  you — 
over  yonder,  forty  or  fifty  miles,  is  the  chan 
nel  running  inland,  which  was  my  objective 
point  all  along.  I  know  this  coast  in  the  dark, 
like  a  book.  Now,  I  promise  you,  I'll  take  you 
in  there  to  friends  of  mine,  people  of  your  own 
class,  and  no  one  shall  suspect  one  jot  of  all 
this,  other  than  that  we  were  driven  out  of 
our  course.  And  once  there,  you  are  free.  You 
never  will  see  my  face  again.  I  will  do  this, 
as  a  ship's  man,  for  you,  and  if  need  conies, 
will  give  my  life  to  keep  you  safe.  It's  about 
all  a  coward  can  do  for  you.  Now  go,  and  if 
any  time  of  need  comes  for  me  to  call  you, 
you  will  be  called.  And  you  will  be  cared  for 
by  the  ship's  men.  And  because  I  am  head  of 
the  ship's  men,  you  will  do  as  I  say.  But  I 
hope  no  need  for  this  will  come.  Yonder  is 
our  course,  where  she  heads  now,  and  soon 
you  will  be  free  from  me.  You  have  wrecked 
me.  Now  I  am  derelict,  from  this  time  on. 
Good-by." 

I  heard  footfalls  above.  "Mrs.  Daniver's 
compliments  to  Captain  Black  Bart,"  saluted 
L'Olonnois,  "an'  would  he  send  my  Auntie  He 
lena  back,  because  she's  offie  sick." 


SHIPWRECK  297 

"Take  good  care  of  your  Auntie  Helena, 
Jimmy,"  said  I,  "and  help  her  aft  along  the 
rail." 

I  followed  up  the  companionway,  and  saw 
her  going  slowly,  head  down,  her  coat  of  lace 
blown  wide;  her  hand  at  her  throat,  and  sob 
bing  in  what  Jimmy  and  I  both  knew  was  fear 
of  the  storm. 

"Have  they  got  everything  they  need  there, 
Jimmy?"  I  asked,  as  he  returned. 

"Sure.  And  the  old  girl's  going  to  have  a 
peach  of  a  one  this  time — she  can't  hardly  rock 
in  a  rockin'  chair  'thout  gettin'  seasick.  I 
think  it's  great,  don't  you?  Look  at  her  buck 
into  'em!" 

Jimmy  and  his  friend  shared  this  immunity 
from  mal  de  mer.  I  could  see  Jean  now  helping 
haul  down  our  burgee,  and  the  deck  boy,  Willy, 
in  his  hurried  work  about  the  boat.  Williams, 
I  could  not  see.  But  Peterson  was  now  calm 
and  much  in  his  element,  for  a  better  skipper 
than  he  never  sailed  a  craft  on  the  Great  Lakes. 

"I  think  she's  going  to  blow  great  guns," 
said  he,  "and  like  enough  the  other  engine'll 
pop  any  minute." 

"Yes?"  I  answered,  stepping  to  the  wheel. 
"In  which  case  we  go  to  Davy  Jones  about 
when,  Peterson?" 


298      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"We  don't  go!"  he  rejoined.  "She's  the 
grandest  little  ship  afloat,  and  not  a  thing's 
the  matter  with  her." 

"Can  we  make  the  channel  and  run  inside 
the  long  key  below  the  Cote  Blanche  Bayou?" 

"Sure  we  can.  You'd  better  get  the  covers 
off  the  boats,  and  see  the  bottom  plugs  in  and 
some  water  and  supplies  shipped  aboard — but 
there's  not  the  slightest  danger  in  the  world 
for  this  boat,  let  me  tell  you  that,  sir.  I've 
seen  her  perform  before  now,  and  there's  not 
a  storm  can  blow  on  this  coast  she  won't  ride 
through." 


CHAPTER    XXX 

IN    WHICH    IS    SHIPWRECK    OF    OTHER    SORT 

AFTER  the  fashion  of  these  gulf  storms, 
this  one  tarried  not  in  its  coming,  nor  of 
fered  any  clemency  when  it  had  arrived.  Where 
but  a  "half-hour  since  the  heavens  had  been 
fair,  the  sea  rippling,  suave  and  kind,  now  the 
sky  was  not  visible  at  all  and  the  tumbling 
waves  about  us  rolled  savagely  as  in  a  nature 
wholly  changed.  The  wind  sang  ominously 
overhead,  as  with  lift  and  plunge  we  drove  on 
into  a  bank  of  mist.  A  chill  as  of  doom  swiftly 
had  replaced  the  balm  of  the  southern  sky; 
and  forsooth,  all  the  mercy  of  the  world  seemed 
lost  and  gone. 

And  as  our  craft,  laboring,  thrust  forward 
blindly  into  this  reek,  with  naught  of  comfort 
on  any  hand,  nor  even  the  dimmest  ray  of 
hope  visible  from  any  fixed  thing  on  ahead,  in 
like  travail  of  going,  in  like  groaning  to  the 
very  soul,  the  bark  of  my  life  now  lay  in  the 
welter,  helpless,  reft  of  storm  and  strife,  blind, 
counseled  by  no  fixed  ray  ahead.  I  know  not 
what  purpose  remained  in  me,  that,  like  the 
ship  which  bore  us,  I  still,  dumbly  and  without 

299 


300     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

conscious  purpose,  forged  onward  to  some 
point  fixed  by  reason  or  desire  before  reason 
and  desire  had  been  engulfed  by  this  final  un- 
kindness  of  the  world.  For  myself,  I  cared 
little  or  none  at  all.  The  plunge  of  the  boat, 
the  shriek  of  the  wind,  the  wild  magic  and 
mystery  of  it,  would  have  comported  not  ill 
with  a  strong  man's  tastes  even  in  hours  more 
happy,  and  now,  especially,  they  jumped  with 
the  wild  protest  of  a  soul  eager  for  some  outlet 
of  action  or  excitement.  But  for  these  others, 
these  women — this  woman — these  boys,  all 
brought  into  this  danger  by  my  own  mad  folly, 
ah!  when  the  thought  of  these  arose,  a  swift 
remorse  caught  me;  and  though  for  myself  I 
feared  not  at  all,  for  these  I  feared. 

Needs  must,  therefore,  use  every  cool  skilled 
resource  that  lay  at  hand.  No  time  now  for 
broken  hearts  to  ask  attention,  the  ship  must 
be  sailed.  Crippled  or  not,  what  she  had  of 
help  for  us  must  be  got  out  of  her,  used,  fos 
tered,  nourished.  All  the  art  of  the  navigator 
must  be  charged  with  this  duty.  We  must 
win  through.  And,  as  many  a  man  who  has 
seen  danger  will  testify,  the  great  need  brought 
to  us  all  a  great  calm  and  a  steady  precision  in 
that  which  needed  doing. 

I  saw  Peterson  at  the  wheel,  wet  to  the  skin, 


SHIPWRECK  OF  OTHER  SORT     301 

as  now  and  again  a  seventh  wave,  slow,  porten 
tous,  deadly-deliberate,  showed  ahead  of  us, 
advanced,  reared  and  pounded  down  on  us 
with  its  tons  of  might.  But  he  only  shook  the 
brine  from  his  eyes  and  held  her  up,  waiting 
for  the  slow  pulse  of  our  crippled  engine  to 
come  on. 

"Can't  keep  my  pipe  lit!"  he  called  to  me, 
as  I  stood  beside  him;  and  at  last,  Peterson,  in 
a  real  time  of  danger,  seemed  altogether  happy 
and  altogether  free  of  apprehension  beyond 
that  regarding  his  pipe. 

At  the  first  breaking  of  the  storm  I  had,  of 
course,  ordered  all  ports  closed,  and  had  sent 
both  my  young  companions  to  the  ladies'  cabin 
aft,  as  the  driest  part  of  the  boat.  Even  there, 
the  water  that  sometimes  fell  upon  our  decks 
as  the  great  waves  broke,  poured  aft  and  even 
broke  about  the  cabin,  drenching  everything 
above  deck.  It  was  man's  work  that  was  to 
be  done  now,  yet  none  could  bear  a  hand  in  it 
save  the  engineer  and  the  steersman.  I  was, 
therefore,  ready  sternly  to  reprove  Jean  La- 
fitte  when,  presently,  I  saw  him  making  the 
perilous  passage  forward,  clinging  to  the  rail 
and  wet  to  the  skin  before  he  could  reach  the 
forward  deck.  But  he  protested  so  earnestly 
and  seemed  withal  so  fit  and  keen,  that  I  re- 


302      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

lented  and  allowed  him  to  take  his  place  by  us 
at  the  wheel,  showing  him  as  well  as  I  could, 
on  the  chart,  the  course  we  were  trying  to  hold 
— the  mouth  of  a  long  channel,  six  miles  or 
more,  dredged  by  the  government  across  a  foot 
of  the  bay  and  making  through  to  deeper 
and  more  sheltered  waters  beyond. 

"S'posin'  we  don't  hit  her,  in  this  fog!'*  asked 
Jean  Lafitte. 

"It  is  our  business  to  do  that,"  was  my  reply. 
"In  an  hour  or  so  more  we  shall  know.  How 
did  yon  leave  the  ladies,  Jean?" 

"Jimmy,  he's  sicker'n  anything,"  was  his  re 
ply,  "except  the  old  lady,  and  she's  sicker'n 
Jimmy!  The  young  lady,  Miss  Emory,  she's 
all  right,  an'  she's  holdin'  their  heads.  She 
says  she  don't  get  sick.  Neither  do  I — ain't 
that  funny?  But  gee.  this  is  rougher'n  any 
waves  ever  was  on  our  lake.  What're  you 
goin'  to  do?" 

"Hold  straight  ahead,  Jean,"  I  answered. 
"Now,  wouldn't  you  better  go  back  to  the 
others?" 

"Naw,  I  ain't  scared — much.  I  told  Jimmy, 
I  did,  any  pirate  ought  to  be  ashamed  to  get 
sick.  But  they're  all  scared.  So'm  I,  some," 
he  added  frankly. 

I   might  have  made   some  confession   of  my 


SHIPWRECK  OF  OTHER  SORT     303 

own,  had  I  liked,  for  I  did  not,  in  the  least, 
fancy  the  look  of  things;  but  after  a  time,  I 
compromised  with  sturdy  Jean  by  sending  him 
below  into  the  dining  saloon,  whence  he  could 
look  out  through  the  glass  front  and  see  the 
tumbling  sea  ahead.  Through  the  glazed  hous 
ing  I  could  see  him  standing,  hands  in  pockets, 
legs  wide,  gazing  out  in  the  simple  confidence 
that  all  was  well,  and  enjoying  the  tumult  and 
excitement  of  it  all  in  his  boyish  ignorance. 

"He  don't  know!"  grinned  Peterson  to  me, 
and  I  only  nodded  in  silence. 

"Where  are  we,  Peterson?"  I  asked,  putting  a 
finger  on  the  wet  chart  before  us. 

"I  don't  know,"  replied  the  old  man.  "It 
depends  on  the  drift,  which  we  can't  calculate. 
Soundings  mean  nothing,  for  she's  shallow  for 
miles.  If  the  fog  would  break,  so  we  could 
see  the  light — there  ain't  any  fog-buoy  on  that 
channel  mouth,  and  it's  murder  that  there  ain't. 
It's  this  d d  fog  that  makes  it  bad." 

I  looked  at  my  watch.  It  was  now  going  on 
five  o'clock,  and  in  this  light,  it  soon  would  be 
night  for  us.  Peterson  caught  the  time,  and 
frowned.  "Wish't  we  was  in,"  said  he.  "No 
use  trying  to  anchor  unless  we  must,  anyhow 
— she'll  ride  mighty  wet  out  here.  Better  buck 
on  into  it." 


304     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

So  we  bucked  on  in,  till  five,  till  five-thirty, 
till  six,  and  all  the  boat's  lights  revealed  was 
a  yellow  circle  of  fog  that  traveled  with  us. 
Wet  and  chilled,  we  two  stood  at  the  wheel 
together,  in  such  hard  conditions  that  no  navi 
gator  and  no  pilot  could  have  done  much  more 
than  grope. 

"We  must  have  missed  her!'*  admitted  the 
old  skipper  at  last.  "I  don't  fancy  the  open 
gulf,  and  I  don't  fancy  piling  her  up  on  some 
shore  in  here.  What  do  you  think  we  should 
do,  Mr.  Harry?" 

"Listen!"  said  I,  raising  a  hand. 

"There's  no  bell-buoy,"  said  he. 

"No,  but  hark.  Don't  you  hear  the  birds — 
there's  a  million  geese  and  swans  and  ducks 
calling  over  yonder." 

"Right,  by  George!"  said  he.     "But  where?" 

"They'd  not  be  at  sea,  Peterson.  They  must 
be  in  some  fresh-water  lake  inside  some  key  or 
island.  On  the  Long  Key  there's  such  an 
inland  lake." 

"It's  beyond  the  channel,  maybe?"  said  he. 
But  he  signaled  Williams  to  go  slow,  and  that 
faithful  unseen  Cyclops,  on  whose  precious  en 
gines  so  much  depended,  obeyed  and  presently 
put  out  a  head  at  his  hatch,  quickly  withdraw 
ing  it  as  a  white  sea  came  inboard. 


SHIPWRECK  OF  OTHER  SORT     305 

"We'll  crawl  on  in,"  said  Peterson.  "The 
light  can't  be  a  thousand  miles  from  here.  If 
only  there  was  a  nigger  man  and  a  dinner  bell 
beside  the  light — that's  the  trouble.  And  now 
— good  God!  There  she  goes!" 

With  a  jar  which  shook  the  good  boat  to  the 
core,  we  felt  the  bottom  come  up  from  the 
depths  and  smite  us.  Our  headway  ceased, 
save  for  a  sickening  crunching  crawl.  The 
waves  piled  clear  across  our  port  bow  as  we 
swung.  And  so  we  hung,  the  gulf  piling  in 
on  us  in  our  yellow  rimmed  world.  And  at 
the  lift  and  hollow  of  the  sea  we  rose  and 
pounded  sullenly  down,  in  such  fashion  as 
would  have  broken  the  back  of  any  boat  less 
stanch  than  ours. 

Here,  in  an  eye's  flash,  was  danger  tangible 
and  real.  I  heard  a  shriek  from  the  cabin  aft, 
and  called  out  for  them  all  to  keep  below  and 
keep  the  ports  closed.  Peterson  had  the  power 
off  in  an  instant,  and  swung  her  head  as  best 
he  could  with  the  dying  headway;  but  it  only 
put  her  farther  on  the  shoal. 

"It's  the  Timbalier  Shoals!"  he  screamed. 

"Oh,  d it  all!  We'll  lose  her,  now."  I 

recalled  that  his  concern  seemed  rather  for  his 
boat  than  the  lives  she  carried. 

Jean  Lafitte  came  bounding  up  the  compan- 


306     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

ionway,  his  face  pale,  but  ready  for  ship's  dis 
cipline.  "Come,"  said  I  quickly,  "help  me 
with  the  anchor."  A  moment  later,  we  sprung 
the  capstan  clutch,  and  I  heard  the  brief  growl 
of  the  anchor  chain  as  the  big  hook  ran  free. 
Glad  enough  I  was  to  think  of  the  extra  size 
it  had.  We  eased  her  down  and  made  fast 
under  Peterson's  orders  now,  and  so  swung 
into  the  head  of  the  sea,  which  mercilessly 
lifted  us  and  flung  us  down  like  a  monkey  seek 
ing  to  crack  a  cocoanut  shell.  Williams  joined 
us  now,  and  Willie  and  John,  pale  as  Jean  La- 
fitte,  came  up  from  the  forecastle,  all  shouting 
and  jabbering.  I  ran  aft  as  soon  as  might  be, 
and  only  pulled  up  at  the  cabin  door  to  sum 
mon  such  air  of  calm  as  I  might.  I  rapped, 
but  followed  in,  not  waiting.  Helena  met  me, 
pale,  her  eyes  wide,  her  hair  disheveled,  but 
none  the  less  mistress  of  herself. 

"What  is  it?"  she  demanded.  "What  makes 
it  jolt?" 

"We've  gone  aground,"  said  I.  "She  does 
pound  a  little,  doesn't  she?" 

She  looked  out  into  the  wild  night,  across 
which  the  voices  of  the  confused  wild  fowl  came 
like  souls  in  torment. 

"This  is  terrible !"  said  she  simply.  "Are  we 
lost?" 


SHIPWRECK  OF  OTHER  SORT     307 

"No,"  said  I.  "Let  us  hear  no  such  talk.  Go 
below,  now,  and  keep  quiet.  We  may  pass  the 
night  here,  or  we  may  conclude  after  a  little 
to  go  on  ahead  a  little  farther.  We've  just 
dropped  the  anchor.  The  island's  just  over 
there  a  way."  I  did  not  care  to  be  too  specific. 

"What  is  it,  oh,  what  is  it?"  I  heard  the 
faint  voice  of  Mrs.  Daniver.  "Oh,  this  is  awful. 
I — am — going — to — die,  going  to  die!"  The  agony 
of  mal  de  mer  was  hers  now  of  full  license,  for 
the  choppy  sea  was  sustained  on  the  bosom  of 
a  long  ground  swell,  coming  we  knew  not 
whence. 

"Jimmy!"  I  called  down.     "Are  you  there?" 

"Yes,  Sir,"  answered  L'Olonnois  bravely,  from 
his  place  on  the  floor.  "I'm  feeling  pretty  fun 
ny,  but  I'll  be  all  right — maybe." 

"Stay  right  where  you  are — and  you  also, 
Miss  Emory.  I  must  go  forward  now,  and  just 
came  to  tell  you  it's  all  right.  If  there  should 
be  any  need,  we'll  let  you  know.  Now  keep 
down,  and  keep  the  door  shut." 

"I'm — going — to — die!"  moaned  Mrs.  Daniver 
as  I  left.  Helena  made  no  outcry,  but  that 
horror  possessed  her  I  knew  very  well,  for 
every  reason  told  us  that  our  case  was  des 
perate.  The  boat  might  start  her  seams  or 
break  her  back,  any  instant,  now. 


308     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

I  found  the  men  trying  to  make  soundings 
all  about  us  as  best  they  could  with  boat  hooks 
and  a  spare  spar.  But  it  came  to  little. 

"Peterson,"  said  I,  "you're  ship's  master. 
What  are  your  orders?" 

"Unlash  the  boat  covers,"  said  he.  "Get 
even  the  dingey  ready.  Williams,  close  your 
hatch  and  bear  a  hand  to  swing  the  big  boat 
out  in  her  davits.  Set  the  bottom  plugs  in 
well.  And  Mr.  Harry,  you  and  John,  the  Chink, 
had  better  get  some  stores  and  a  case  or  so  of 
bottled  water  aboard  the  long  boat.  Have  you 
got  the  slickers  and  rugs  ready,  and  plenty  of 
clothes?  We'll  just  be  ready  if  it  happens.  I 
don't  know  where  that  damned  light  or  the 
damned  channel  is,  but  the  damned  ducks  may 
be  know  where  some  damned  thing  is.  We'll 
run  for  them,  if  we  can't  ride  her  out." 

We  all  hurried  now,  Jean  Lafitte  at  my  heels, 
silent  and  faithful  as  a  dog,  aiding  me  as  I 
piled  blankets  and  coats  and  rugs  from  our 
cabin  into  the  ship's  boat,  which  swayed  and 
swung  perilously  at  the  davits.  What  with  the 
aid  of  John,  the  China  boy,  and  Willy,  the  deck 
hand,  we  also  got  supplies  aboard  her,  I  scarce 
knew  what,  except  that  there  seemed  abund 
ance.  And  then  we  stood  waiting  for  what 
might  happen,  helpless  in  the  hands  of  the  of- 


SHIPWRECK  OF  OTHER  SORT     309 

fended  elements,  and  silent  all.  I  held  Jean's 
hand  in  my  own.  He  was  loyal  to  his  mate, 
even  now.  "Jimmy'd  be  here,"  he  said. 
"'Course  he  would,  only  he's  so  awful  sick.  I 
ain't  sick — yet,  but  I  feel  funny,  someway." 

Peterson  stood  looking  ahead,  but  was  anx 
ious.  "She's  coming  up  stronger,"  said  he, 
"and  two  points  on  the  port  quarter.  "We're 
going  on  harder  all  the  time.  Anchor's  drag 
ging.  Afraid  we're  going  to  lose  her,  Mr. 
Harry." 

"Hush!"  said  I,  nodding  to  the  boy.  "And 
turn  on  the  search-light.  It  seems  to  me  I  hear 
breakers  in  there." 

"That's  so,"  said  the  old  man.  "Hook  on 
the  light's  battery,  Williams,  and  let's  see  what 


we  can  see." 


The  strong  beam,  wavering  from  side  to  side, 
plowed  a  furry  path  into  the  fog.  It  disclosed 
at  first  only  the  succession  of  angry  incoming 
waves,  each,  as  it  passed,  thudding  us  down 
on  the  bar  of  shell  and  mud  and  slime.  But 
at  last,  off  to  starboard  and  well  astern  in  our 
new  position,  riding  at  anchor,  we  raised  a 
faint  white  line  of  broken  water  which  seemed 
a  constant  feature;  and  now  and  then  caught 
the  low  boom  of  the  surf. 

"She  ain't  a  half  mile,  over  yonder,"  I  heard 


310     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

Willy,  the  deck-hand,  say.  "An'  we  could  almost 
walk  it  if  it  wasn't  for  the  sea." 

"Yes,  sir,"  said  Williams,  "we'd  do  fine  in 
there  now,  with  them  boats.  When  we  hit 
that  white  water " 

"Shut  up!"  ordered  Peterson.  "Safe  as  a 
church,  here  or  there,  you  lubbers.  Stand  by 
your  tackle,  and  keep  your  chin.  Mr.  Harry, 
tell  the  ladies  just  to  wrap  up  a  bit,  because 
— well,  maybe,  because " 

"Call  me  when  it  is  time,  Peterson,"  said  I; 
and  moved  aft,  holding  Jean  Lafitte  by  the  arm. 

"Gee !"  said  he,  as  he  dropped,  wet  and  out 
of  breath,  into  the  cabin;  and  "Gee!"  remarked 
a  very  pale  L'Olonnois  in  return,  gamely  as  he 
could.  And  Mrs.  Daniver's  moans  went  rhyth 
mic  with  the  pound  of  the  keel  on  the  shoal. 

"What  shall  we  do?"  asked  Helena  at  last 
calmly.  "Auntie  is  very  sick.  I  am  beginning 
to  fear  for  her,  it  is  such  a  bad  attack.  This 
is  as  rough  as  I  ever  saw  it  on  the  Channel." 

"There  is  no  danger,"  said  I,  "but  Peterson 
and  I  just  thought  that  if  she  kept  on  pound 
ing  in  this  way,  it  might  be  better  to  go 
ashore." 

I  spoke  lightly,  but  well  enough  I  knew  the 
risk  of  trying  to  launch  a  boat  in  such  a  sea; 
and  what  the  surf  might  be,  none  could  say. 


SHIPWRECK  OF  OTHER  SORT     311 

Ah,  how  I  wished  that  my  empty  assurance 
might  be  the  truth.  For  I  knew  that,  anyway 
we  looked,  only  danger  stared  back  at  us  now, 
on  every  hand. 


CHAPTER  XXXI 

IN    WHICH    WE    TAKE    TO    THE    BOATS 

I  LOOKED  at  the  woman  I  loved,  and  self- 
reproach  was  in  my  soul,  as  I  saw  a  shud 
der  go  across  her  form.  She  was  pale,  but 
beyond  a  swift  look  at  me  made  no  sign  con 
necting  me,  either  with  the  wreck  or  the  res 
cue.  I  think  she  had  even  then  abandoned  all 
hope  of  safety;  and  in  my  own  heart,  such, 
also,  was  the  rising  conviction  which  I  con 
cealed.  Under  the  inborn  habit  of  self-preser 
vation,  under  the  cultivated  habit  of  the  well 
born,  to  show  no  fear  and  to  use  the  resources 
of  a  calm  mind  to  the  last  in  time  of  danger, 
we  stood  now,  at  least,  in  some  human  equality. 
And  again  I  lied  and  said,  "There  is  no  danger," 
though  I  could  see  the  white  rollers  and  could 
hear  their  roar  on  the  shore. 

The  night  grew  wilder.  The  great  gulf 
storm  had  not  yet  reached  its  climax,  and  none 
could  tell  what  pitch  of  fury  that  might  mean. 
The  dull  jar  of  the  boat  as  she  time  and  again 
was  flung  down  by  the  waves,  the  shiver  and 
creak  and  groan  of  the  sturdy  craft,  told  us 
that  the  end  might  come  at  any  instant,  though 

312 


WE  TAKE  TO  THE  BOATS          313 

now  the  anchor  held  firm  and  our  crawl  on  to 
the  shoal  had  ceased.  All  around  us  was  water 
only  four  or  five  feet  deep,  but  water  whose 
waves  were  twice  as  high.  Once  the  final 
crash  came,  and  it  would  be  too  late  to  launch 
a  boat,  and  all  of  us,  overboard  in  that  welter, 
were  gone. 

Silently,  I  stepped  on  deck  once  more,  and 
motioned  to  Willy,  the  deck-hand,  to  bring  me 
the  life  preservers.  "Put  them  on/'  I  said  to 
Helena. 

"Oh,  I  can't.  I  can't!"  moaned  the  older 
woman.  "I'm  dying — let  me  alone." 

"Stop  this  nonsense,  madam,"  said  I  sternly 
— knowing  that  was  the  only  way — "put  it  on 
at  once.  You  too,  Miss  Emory,  and  you,  my 
boys.  Quick.  Then  throw  on  loose  wraps — 
all  you  can.  It  will  be  cold." 

In  spite  of  all  my  efforts  to  seem  calm,  the 
air  of  panic  ran  swiftly.  Mrs.  Daniver  awoke 
to  swift  action  as  she  tremblingly  fastened  the 
belt  about  her.  Pushing  past  me,  she  reached 
the  deck,  and  so  mad  was  she  that  in  all 
likelihood  she  would  have  sprung  overboard. 
I  caught  at  her,  and  though  my  clutch  brought 
away  little  more  than  a  handful  of  false  hair, 
it  seemed  to  restore  her  reason  though  it  de 
stroyed  her  coiffure.  "Enough  of  this!"  I 


314      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

cried  to  her.  "Take  your  place  by  the  boat, 
and  do  as  you  are  told."  And  I  saw  Helena 
pass  forward,  also,  as  we  all  reached  the  deck, 
herself  pale  as  a  wraith,  but  with  no  outcry  and 
no  spoken  word.  So,  at  last,  I  ranged  them  all 
near  the  boat  that  swung  ready  at  the  davits. 

"We  can't  all  get  in  that,"   said  Jean  Lafitte. 

"No,"  said  I:  and  I  did  not  like  to  look  at 
the  tiny  dingey  which  lay  on  the  cabin-top, 
squat  and  tub-like,  or  the  small  ducking  skiff 
that  here  on  deck  was  half  full  of  water  from 
the  breaking  seas. 

"Peterson,"  said  I,  "take  charge  of  the  big 
boat  here.  Take  Williams  to  run  her  motor 
for  you.  And  the  ladies  will  go  with  you." 

I  turned  to  the  two  boys,  and  my  heart 
leaped  in  pride  for  them  both ;  for  when  I  mo 
tioned  to  Jimmy  to  make  ready  for  the  large 
boat,  with  the  ladies,  he  stepped  back,  pale  as 
he  was.  "Not  unless  John  goes,  too,"  said  he. 
And  they  stood  side  by  side,  simply  and  with 
no  outcry,  their  young  faces  grave. 

"He  must  go  with  us — Jimmy,"  broke  out 
Helena  yearningly:  "and  so  must  you." 

"Shut  up,  Auntie,"  exclaimed  Jimmy  most 
irreverently.  "Who's  a-runnin*  this  boat,  like 
to  know?"  Which  abashed  his  auntie  very 
much. 


WE  TAKE  TO  THE  BOATS          315 

"We'll  take  this  one,"  said  Jean  Lafitte,  and 
already  was  tipping  the  duck  boat.  "It'll  carry 
us  three  if  it  has  to."  And  I  allowed  him  and 
his  mate  to  stand  by,  not  daring  to  look  at  its 
inadequate  shell  and  again  at  the  breaking 
seas. 

That  left  the  dingey  for  Willy  and  the  cook. 
I  glanced  at  Willy.  "WThich  would  you  rather 
chance?"  I  asked  him,  "the  dingey  or  the  duck 
boat?" 

"The  dingey,"  said  he  quickly, — and  we  both 
knew  the  cork-like  quality  of  this  stubby  craft. 

"Very  well,"  said  I.  "Call  John,  when  the 
word  comes  to  go." 

"Aren't  you  going  with  us?"  asked  Helena 
now,  suddenly,  approaching  me.  I  took  one 
long  look  into  her  eyes,  then,  "Obey  orders," 
was  all  I  said,  and  pointed  to  the  larger  boat. 
I  said  good-by  to  her  then.  And,  in  the  swift 
intuitive  justice  that  comes  to  us  in  moments 
of  extremity,  I  passed  sentence  upon  these 
young  boys  and  myself.  Though  they  had  sin 
ned  in  innocence,  though  I  had  sinned  in  love, 
it  had  been  our  folly  that  had  brought  these 
others  into  this  peril,  and  our  chance  must  be 
the  least.  Peterson  and  Williams  would  be  a 
better  team  in  the  big  boat  than  any  other  we 
could  afford.  I  saw  Peterson  step  toward  us, 


316      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

and  divined  what  was  in  his  mind.  "I'm  owner 
of  this  boat,  my  man/'  said  I.  "Go  to  your 
duty.  You're  needed  in  the  big  boat." 

"I'm  last  to  leave  her,"  whispered  the  old 
man.  "She's  my  boat,  and  I've  run  her." 

"Peterson,"  said  I,  taking  him  aside,  "I'll 
buy  us  another  boat.  But  there  is  no  woman 
on  earth,  nor  ever  will  be,  like  that  one  yon 
der.  Save  her.  It  is  your  first  duty.  I  wanted 
that  for  myself,  but  she  thinks  I'm  a  coward, 
and  I  would  be,  if  I  arranged  our  crews  any 
other  way  than  just  as  we  are.  Take  your 
boat  through.  We  others  will  do  the  best  we 
can.  And  give  the  word  for  the  boats  when 
you're  sure  we  can't  ride  it  out." 

Silently,  the  old  man  touched  his  cap,  and 
giving  me  one  look,  he  went  to  the  bows  of 
his  boat.  The  Belle  Helene,  lashed  by  the 
storm,  rolled  and  pulled  at  her  cable,  rose,  fell 
thuddingly.  And  at  last,  came  a  giant  swell 
that  almost  submerged  us.  I  caught  Helena  to 
the  cabin-top  to  keep  her  drier  from  it,  and  the 
two  boys  also  sprang  to  a  point  of  safety.  Mrs. 
Daniver,  less  agile,  was  caught  by  Peterson 
and  Williams  and  held  to  the  rail,  wetted  thor 
oughly.  And  by  some  freak  of  the  wind,  at 
that  instant  came  fully  the  roar  of  the  surf. 
We  of  the  Belle  Helene  seemed  very  small. 


WE  TAKE  TO  THE  BOATS          317 

I  looked  now  at  Peterson.  He  raised  his 
little  megaphone,  which  hung  at  his  belt,  and 
shouted  loud  and  clear,  as  though  we  could 
not  have  heard  him  at  this  distance  of  ten 
feet.  "Get  ready  to  lower  away!"  Williams 
and  the  deck-hand  sprang  to  the  falls.  "Get 
the  women  in  the  boat,  you,  Williams,"  called 
the  skipper,  "and  go  in  with  them  to  steady 
her  when  she  floats.  Take  his  place  there,  Mr. 
Harry.  Lively  now!"  And  how  we  got  the 
two  women  into  the  swinging  boat  I  hardly 
knew. 

The  old  skipper  cast  one  eye  ahead  as  a  big 
wave  rolled  astern.  "Now!"  he  shouted. 
"Lower  away,  there !" 

The  boat  dropped  into  the  cup  of  a  sea,  rose 
level  with  the  rail  the  next  instant,  and  tossed 
perilously.  I  saw  the  two  women  huddled  in 
the  bottom  of  her,  their  eyes  covered,  saw  Wil 
liams  climbing  over  them  and  easing  her  at  the 
bowline.  Then,  as  we  seized  the  next  instant 
of  the  rhythm,  and  hauled  her  alongside,  Peter 
son  made  a  leap  and  went  aboard  her,  and 
Williams  scrambled  back,  once  more,  across 
the  two  huddled  forms.  I  saw  him  wrench  at 
the  engine  crank,  and  heard  the  spitting  chug 
of  the  little  motor.  They  fell  off  in  the  sea 
way,  Peterson  holding  her  with  an  oar  as  he 


318      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

could  till  the  screws  caught.  Then  I  saw  her  an 
swer  the  helm  and  they  staggered  off,  passing 
out  of  the  beam  of  our  search-light,  so  that  it 
seemed  to  me  I  had  said  good-by  to  Helena 
forever. 

We  who  remained  had  no  davits  to  aid  us, 
and  must  launch  by  hand.  For  a  moment  I 
stood  and  made  my  plans.  First,  I  called  to 
Willy,  our  deck-hand,  who  had  the  dingey 
now  astern,  some  fashion.  "Are  you  ready?" 
I  demanded:  but  the  next  moment  I  heard  his 
call  astern  and  knew  that,  monkey-like,  he  had 
got  her  over  and  was  aboard  her  somehow. 

"Now,  boys,"  said  I,  "come  here  and  shake 
hands  with  Black  Bart."  They  came,  their 
serious  eyes  turned  up  to  me.  And  never  has 
deeper  emotion  seized  me  than  as  I  felt  their 
young  hands  in  mine.  We  said  nothing. 

"Now,  bear  a  hand  there,  you,  Jean!"  I 
pulled  open  the  gate  of  the  rail,  and  ran  out 
the  landing  stage,  on  which  the  flat-bottomed 
skiff  sat.  With  an  oar  I  pushed  it  across  at 
right  angles  as  nearly  as  possible  when  she 
cleared.  "Quick!  Get  in,  both  of  you,"  I 
called.  I  was  holding  the  inboard  end  of  the 
plank  under  a  wedged  oar  shaft,  thrust  below 
the  sill  of  the  forward  cabin  door.  They  scram 
bled  out  and  in,  Jean  grasping  the  bight  of  the 


WE  TAKE  TO  THE  BOATS          319 

painter  that  I  handed  him,  and  passing  it  over 
the  rail. 

"Now,  look  out/'  I  called,  and  dropped  the 
landing  stage  to  meet  the  swell  of  the  next 
wave.  They  slid,  tilted,  righted,  rose  high — 
and  held.  The  next  moment  I  sprang,  fell  into 
the  sea,  was  caught  by  the  collar  as  my  hand 
grasped  the  cockpit  coaming,  and  so  I  slid  in, 
somehow,  over  the  end  deck,  and  caught  the 
end  of  the  painter  from  John's  hand  and  cast 
her  free. 

The  drift  carried  us  off  at  once,  and  the  next 
wave  almost  hid  the  hull  of  the  Belle  Helene. 
I  knew  at  once  we  were  powerless,  and  that 
our  one  hope  lay  in  drifting  ashore.  There  is 
no  worse  sea  boat  than  a  low,  flat  ducking 
boat,  decked  though  she  be,  and  of  good  coam 
ing,  for  she  butts  into  and  does  not  rise  to  a 
sea.  But  now,  I  thanked  my  star,  one  thing 
only  was  in  our  favor.  We  rolled  like  a  log, 
already  half  full  of  water,  but  we  floated,  be 
cause  in  each  end  of  our  skiff  was  a  big  empty 
tin  air  tank,  put  there  in  spite  of  the  laughing 
protest  of  the  builder,  who  said  no  room  was 
left  for  decoys  under  the  decks.  Just  now, 
those  tin  cans  were  worth  more  than  many 
duck  decoys. 

"Keep  down!"   I   ordered.     "And  hold   on!" 


320      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

The  boys  obeyed  me.  I  could  see  their  gaze 
bent  on  me,  as  the  source  of  their  hope,  their 
reliance.  Jimmy  was  now  free  from  the  first 
violence  of  the  seasickness,  but  I  saw  Jean's  hand 
on  his  arm. 

"Gee!"  I  heard  the  latter  mutter  as  the  first 
sea  crossed  under  us.  "Dat  was  a  peach."  I 
took  heart  myself,  for  we  lived  that  one 
through.  "Bail!"  I  ordered,  and  they  took 
their  cups  to  it,  while  I  did  all  I  could  with 
the  long  punt  paddle  to  make  some  sort  of 
course.  Now  and  then  the  blazing  trail  of  the 
Belle  Helene's  search-light  swung  across  as  we 
rolled,  to  leave  us,  the  next  instant,  in  black 
ness.  As  the  seas  permitted,  we  could  see  her, 
riding  and  rocking,  sometimes,  alight  from 
stern  to  stern  and  making  a  gallant  fight  for 
her  life,  as  were  we  all. 

So  long  as  the  rollers  came  in  oily  and  black, 
we  did  well,  but  where  the  top  of  one  broke 
under  us,  we  sank  deep  into  the  white  foam 
that  had  no  carrying  power,  and  our  cockpit 
filled  so  that  we  all  sat  in  water.  Only  the 
tanks  held  us,  log-like,  and  we  bailed  and  pad 
dled  :  and  after  they  saw  we  did  not  sink,  my 
hardy  bullies,  perhaps  in  the  ignorance  of  youth 
and  boy's  confidence  that  a  boy  and  water  are 
friends,  began  to  shout  aloud.  We  wallowed  on. 


WE  TAKE  TO  THE  BOATS          321 

No  sound  came  to  us  from  either  of  the  other 
boats;  and  now,  very  quickly  it  seemed,  we 
came  at  the  edge  of  the  surf. 

"I'm  touching  bottom,  boys,"  I  called,  and 
cast  the  long  punt  pole  adrift  as  I  took  up  the 
short  paddle  I  had  held  under  my  leg. 

Now  we  had  under  us  two  feet  of  water  or 
ten,  as  the  waves  might  say,  and  any  moment 
we  might  roll  over;  but  we  wallowed  in,  roll 
ing,  till  I  knew  the  supreme  moment  had  come. 
I  waited,  holding  her  head  in  well  as  I  could 
so  unruly  a  hulk,  and  as  a  big  roller  came  after 
us,  paddled  as  hard  as  I  could.  The  wave 
chased  us,  caught  us,  pushed  us,  carried  us  in. 
There  was  a  lift  of  our  loggish  bows,  a  blinding 
crash  of  white  water  about  us.  Our  boat  was 
overturned,  but  in  some  way,  since  the  beach 
was  all  sand  and  very  gentle,  the  wave  flat 
tened  so  that  the  back-tow  did  not  pull  us 
down.  In  some  way,  I  do  not  know  how,  I 
found  myself  standing,  and  dragging  Jimmy  by 
the  hand.  Jean  already  was  ahead,  and  I 
heard  his  shout  and  saw  his  hand  as  he  stood, 
knee-deep  but  safe.  So  we  all  made  it  ashore, 
and  our  boat  also,  which  now  we  hauled  out  of 
the  spume.  And  the  long  white  row  of  break 
ers,  less  dangerous  than  I  had  feared,  came  in, 
white  maned  and  bellowing. 


322      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

I  could  still  see  the  rocking  lights  of  the 
yacht,  and  the  shifting  stroke  of  the  search 
light  on  the  sea,  but  I  did  not  hear  and  see 
aught  else,  at  the  time,  and  my  heart  sank. 

It  was  Jimmy  whose  ear  first  got  the  sound 
which  came  in — the  feverish  phut-phut  of  the 
motor  skiff.  Then  the  ray  of  the  great  light 
swung  and  I  saw  the  boat  still  outside  the 
breakers — nor  could  I  tell  then  why  we  had 
beaten  her  in.  It  seemed  Peterson  was  hunt 
ing  for  us  others. 

"Stay  back,  boys!"  I  called  to  my  compan 
ions.  "You  might  get  thrown  down  by  the 
waves — keep  back."  But  now  I  was  ready  to 
rush  in  to  meet  the  long  boat,  whose  keel  I 
knew  would  leave  her  to  overturn  if  she  caught 
bottom. 

But  Peterson  knew  about  the  keel  as  well 
as  any,  and  he  caught  what  he  thought  was 
water  enough  before  he  yelled  to  Williams  to 
drive  her  in.  She  sped  in  like  an  arrow ;  and 
again  the  white  wave  reared  high  and  broke 
upon  its  prey.  By  then,  I  was  in  water  to  my 
waist.  I  caught  Helena  out  with  one  reach  of 
my  arms,  just  as  I  saw  Williams  and  Peterson 
stagger  in  with  Mrs.  Daniver  between  them. 
In  some  miraculous  way  we  got  beyond  dan 
ger,  and  met  my  pirates,  dancing  and  shouting 
a  welcome  to  our  desert  isle.  Their  advent, 


WE  TAKE  TO  THE  BOATS          323 

thereon,  gave  the  two  womenfolk  a  fervent 
wish  to  embrace,  sob  and  weep  extraordinarily. 
I  had  said  nothing  to  Helena  and  said  nothing 


now. 
tt 


Where's  the  dingey,  Peterson?"  I  called, 
as  he  came  up,  grinning. 

"Coming  in,"  said  he;  and  forsooth  that 
water-rat,  Willy,  made  a  better  landing  of  it 
than  any  of  us,  and  calmly  helped  us  now  to 
haul  the  heavy  motor  skiff  up  the  beach,  a 
few  feet  at  a  time  as  the  waves  thrust  it  for 
ward. 

"Thank  God!"  I  heard  Helena  exclaim.  "Oh, 
thank  God!  We're  safe,  we're  all  safe,  after 
all." 

I  looked  at  my  little  group  for  a  time,  all 
soaked  to  the  skin,  all  huddled  now  close  to 
gether.  Peterson,  Williams,  Willy — all  the 
crew,  yes.  Auntie  Lucinda  and  the  woman 
who  had  called  me  a  coward — the  two  captives, 
yes,  Jean  Lafitte  and  Henri  L'Olonnois  and  my 
self,  Black  Bart — all  the  ship's  owners.  What 
lacked?  For  a  moment  I  could  not  tell  why 
I  had  the  vague  feeling  that  something  or 
some  one  was  missing. 

"Willy,"  said  I  at  last,  "where's  John,  the 
cook?" 

"Why,  I  don't  know,"  said  Willy.  "Didn't 
he  come  with  you?" 


CHAPTER  XXXII 

IN    WHICH    I    RESCUE   THE    COOK 

ffTTTHATS  that?"  said  Peterson  sharply— 
»  »  "you  didn't  obey  orders?" 

"Well,  I  thought  he  was  in  the  other  boat," 
explained  Willy,  hanging  his  head. 

"You'll  get  your  time,"  said  the  old  man 
quietly,  "soon  as  we  get  to  the  railroad — and 
you'll  go  home  by  rail." 

"What  are  you  trying  to  do,  Mr.  Harry?" 
he  demanded  of  me,  a  moment  later.  I  was 
looking  at  the  long  boat. 

"Well,  he's  part  of  the  boat's  company,"  said 
I,  "and  we've  got  to  save  him,  Peterson." 

"What's  that?"  asked  Helena  now  coming 
up — and  then,  "Why,  John,  our  cook,  isn't 
here,  is  he?"  She,  too,  looked  at  the  long  boat 
and  at  the  sea.  "How  horrible !"  she  said.  "Hor 
rible!" 

"What  does  he  mean  to  do?"  she  demanded 
now  of  Peterson  in  turn.  The  old  man  only 
looked  at  her. 

"Surely,  you  don't  mean  to  go  out  there 
again,"  she  said. 

I  turned  to  them  both,  half  cold  with  anger. 
"Do  you  think  I'd  leave  him  out  there  to  die, 

324 


I  RESCUE  THE  COOK  325 

perhaps?  It  was  my  own  fault,  not  to  see  him 
in  the  boat." 

"It  wasn't,"  reiterated  Peterson.  "It  was 
Willy's  fault — or  mine." 

"In  either  case  it's  likely  to  be  equally  seri 
ous  for  him.  We  can't  leave  the  poor  devil 
helpless,  that  way." 

"Mr.  Harry,"  began  Peterson  again,  "he's 
only  a  Chinaman." 

"Take  shame  to  yourself  for  that,  Peterson," 
said  I.  "He's  a  part  of  the  boat's  company — 
a  good  cook — yes,  but  more  than  a  good 
cook " 

"Well,  why  didn't  he  come  up  with  the  rest 
of  us?" 

"Because  he  was  at  his  place  of  duty,  below, 
until  ordered  up,"  said  I. 

Peterson  pondered  for  a  moment.  "That's 
right,"  said  he  at  length;  "I'll  go  out  with  you." 

I  felt  Helena's  hand  on  my  arm.  "It's  awful 
out  there,"  said  she.  But  I  only  turned  to  look 
at  her  in  the  half-darkness  and  shook  off  her 
hand. 

"You  can't  launch  the  big  boat,"  said  Peter 
son.  "You'd  only  swamp  her,  if  you  tried." 

"That  may  be,"  said  I,  "but  the  real  thing  is 
to  try." 

"We  might  wait  till  the  wind  lulls,"  he  ar 
gued. 


326      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"Yes,  and  if  the  wind  should  change  she 
might  drag  her  anchor  and  go  out  to  sea. 
Which  boat  is  best  to  take,  Peterson?" 

A  strange  feeling  of  calm  came  over  me,  an 
odd  feeling  not  easy  to  explain,  that  I  was  not 
a  young  man  of  leisure,  but  some  one  else,  one 
of  my  ancestors  of  earlier  days,  used  to  en 
counters  with  adversity  or  risk.  Calmly  and 
much  to  my  own  surprise,  I  stood  and  esti 
mated  the  chances  as  though  I  had  been  used 
to  such  things  all  my  life. 

"Which  is  the  best  boat,  Peterson?"  I  re 
peated.  "Hardly  the  duck  boat,  I  think — and 
you  say  not  the  big  boat." 

"The  dingey  is  the  safest,"  replied  Peterson. 
"That  little  tub  would  ride  better;  but  no  man 
could  handle  her  out  there." 

"Very  well,"  said  I;  "she'll  get  her  second 
wetting,  anyhow.  Lend  a  hand." 

"She'll  carry  us  both,"  commented  the  old 
man,  stepping  to  the  side  of  the  stubby  little 
craft. 

"But  she'll  be  lighter  and  ride  easier  with 
but  one,"  was  my  reply.  "A  chip  is  dry  on  top 
only  as  long  as  it's  a  chip." 

"Let  me  go  along,"  said  Jean  Lafitte,  step 
ping  up  at  this  time. 

"You'll  do  nothing  of  the  sort,  my  son,"  said 


I  RESCUE  THE  COOK  327 

I.  "Go  back  to  the  ladies  and  make  a  fire,  and 
make  a  shelter/'  said  I.  "I'll  be  here  again 
before  long." 

The  news  of  the  new  adventure  now  spread 
among  our  little  party.  Mrs.  Daniver  began 
sniffling.  "Helena,"  I  heard  her  say,  "this  is 
terrible."  But  meantime  I  was  pulling  off  my 
sweater  and  fastening  on  a  life  belt.  Nodding 
to  Peterson,  we  both  picked  up  the  dingey,  and 
when  the  next  sea  favored,  made  a  swift  run  in 
the  endeavor  to  break  through  the  surf. 

"Let  go!"  I  cried  to  him,  as  the  water 
swirled  about  our  waist.  "Go  back!"  And  so 
I  sprang  in  alone  and  left  him. 

For  the  time  I  could  make  small  headway, 
indeed,  had  not  time  to  get  at  the  oars,  but 
pushing  as  I  might  with  the  first  thing  that 
came  to  hand,  I  felt  the  bottom  under  me,  felt 
again  the  lift  of  the  sea  carry  me  out  of  touch. 
Then  an  incoming  wave  carried  me  back  almost 
to  the  point  whence  I  had  started.  In  such 
way  as  I  could  not  explain,  none  the  less  at 
length  the  little  boat  won  through,  no  more 
than  half  filled  by  the  breaking  comber.  I 
worked  first  as  best  I  might,  paddling,  and  so 
keeping  her  off  the  best  I  could.  Then  when 
I  got  the  oars,  the  stubby  yawing  little  tub 
at  first  seemed  scarce  more  than  to  hold  her 


328     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

own.  I  pulled  hard — hard  as  I  could.  Slowly, 
the  line  of  white  breakers  passed  astern.  After 
that,  saving  my  strength  a  trifle,  I  edged  out, 
now  angling  into  the  wind,  now  pulling  full 
into  the  teeth  of  the  gale.  Even  my  purpose 
was  almost  forgotten  in  the  intensity  of  the 
task  of  merely  keeping  away  from  the  surf. 
Dully  I  pulled,  reasoning  no  more  than  that 
that  was  the  thing  for  me  to  do. 

It  had  seemed  a  mile,  that  short  half-mile 
between  the  yacht  and  the  beach.  It  seemed 
a  hundred  miles  now  going  back  to  the  boat. 
I  did  not  dare  ask  myself  how  I  could  go 
aboard  if  even  I  won  across  so  far  as  the  yacht. 
It  was  enough  that  I  did  not  slip  backward  to 
the  beach  once  more.  Yawing  and  jibbing  in 
the  wind  which  caught  her  stubby  freeboard, 
the  little  boat,  none  the  less,  held  up  under  me, 
and  once  she  was  bailed  of  the  surf,  rode  fairly 
dry  in  spite  of  all,  being  far  more  buoyant 
than  either  of  the  other  craft.  Once  in  the 
dark,  I  saw  something  thrust  up  beside  me  and 
fancied  it  to  be  a  stake,  marking  the  channel 
which  pierced  the  key  hereabout.  This  was 
confirmed  in  my  mind  when,  presently,  as  rain 
began  to  fall  and  the  fog  lessened  for  the  time, 
I  saw  the  blurred  yellow  lighthouse  eye  an 
swering  the  wavering  search-light  of  the  Belle 


I  RESCUE  THE  COOK  329 

Helene,  which  swept  from  side  to  side  across 
the  bay  as  she  rolled  heavily  at  her  anchor. 
In  spite  of  the  hard  fight  it  had  given  me,  I 
was  glad  the  wind  still  held  inshore.  I  knew 
the  point  of  the  little  island  lay  not  far  beyond 
the  light.  Once  adrift  beyond  that,  not  the 
Belle  Helene  herself  would  be  safe,  in  this  off 
shore  wind,  but  must  be  carried  out  into  the 
gulf  beyond. 

Not  reasoning  much  about  this,  however, 
and  content  with  mere  pulling,  I  kept  on  until 
at  length  I  saw  the  nodding  lights  of  the  Belle 
Helene  lighting  the  gloom  more  definitely 
about  me.  Presently,  I  made  under  her  lee,  so 
that  the  dingey  was  more  manageable,  and  at 
last,  I  edged  up  almost  to  her  rail,  planning 
how,  perhaps,  I  might  cast  a  line  and  so  make 
fast.  But,  first,  I  tried  calling. 

"Ahoy,  there  below,  John!"  I  called  through 
the  dark.  At  first  there  came  no  answer,  and 
again  I  shouted.  At  this  I  saw  the  door  of  the 
dining  saloon  pushed  open,  and  John  himself 
thrust  out  his  hand. 

"All  litee,"  said  he,  merely  greeting  me  cas 
ually.  "You  come?" 

"Yes,"  said  I,  with  equal  sang-froid.  "You 
makee  quick  jump  now,  John,  s'pose  I '  come 


330      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"All  litee,"  said  he  once  more.  I  saw  now 
that  he  stood  there,  a  book  and  a  bundle  in  his 
arm.  Perhaps  he  had  been  reading  to  pass 
the  time! 

Be  that  as  it  may,  I  cautiously  pulled  the 
dingey  under  the  lee  of  the  Belle  Helene. 
Timing  his  leap  with  a  sagacity  and  agility 
combined  which  I  had  not  suspected  of  him, 
my  China  boy  made  a  leap,  stumbled,  righted 
himself,  got  his  balance  and  so  placed  his 
bundle  on  the  bottom  of  the  boat  and  his  book 
upon  the  seat,  where  he  covered  it  carefully 
against  the  spray. 

"All  litee,"  said  he  once  more.  "I  makee 
pull  now.  You  come  this  place." 

I  endeavored  to  emulate  his  Oriental  calm. 
"John,"  said  I,  "I  catchee  plenty  wind  this 
time." 

"Yes,  plenty  wind,"  said  he. 

"You  suppose  we  leave  China  boy?"  I  de 
manded. 

"Oh,  no,  no!"  he  exclaimed  with  emphasis. 
"I  know  you  come  back  allee  time  bimeby, 
one  time." 

"What  were  you  doing,  John?" 

"I  leed  plenty  'Melican  book,"  said  he  calm 
ly.  "Now  I  makee  pull."  To  oblige  him  I 
made  way  for  him,  and  we  crawled  past  each 


I  RESCUE  THE  COOK  331 

other  on  the  floor  of  the  heaving  dingey.  He 
took  the  oars  and  began  pulling  with  an  odd 
chopping  sort  of  a  stroke,  perhaps  learned  in 
his  youth  on  some  sampan  that  rode  the  waters 
of  his  native  land;  but  for  my  own  part,  since 
Fate  seemed  to  be  kind  to  me  after  all,  I 
trusted  his  skill,  such  as  it  was,  and  was  willing 
to  rest  for  a  time. 

"No  velly  bad,"  said  John  judicially,  after  a 
time.  "Pretty  soon  come  in."  No  doubt  he 
saw  the  little  fire,  now  beginning  to  light  the 
beach.  At  any  rate,  he  headed  straight  in, 
the  seas  following,  reeling  after  us.  They 
have  their  own  ways,  these  people  of  the  East. 
I  fancy  John  had  run  surf  before.  At  any  rate, 
I  knew  the  water  now  was  shallow  and  that, 
perhaps,  one  could  swim  ashore  if  we  were 
overset.  I  trusted  him  to  make  the  landing, 
however,  and  he  did  it  like  a  veteran.  One 
plunge  through  the  ultimate  white  crest,  and 
we  were  carried  up  high  on  the  beach,  to  meet 
the  shouts  of  my  men  and  to  feel  their  hands 
grasp  the  gunwales  of  the  sturdy  little  craft. 

"All  litee,"  remarked  John  amiably,  and 
started  for  the  fire,  such  being  his  instinct,  not 
with  the  purpose  of  getting  warm,  but  of  cook 
ing  something.  And  in  half  an  hour  he  had  a 
cup  of  hot  bouillon  all  around. 


332      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"It's  a  commendable  thing,"  remarked  Mrs. 
Daniver,  "that  you,  sir,  should  go  to  the  rescue 
of  even  a  humble  Chinaman.  I  find  this  bouil 
lon  delicious." 

"Have  you  quite  recovered  from  your  sea 
sickness  by  this  time,  Mrs.  Daniver?"  I  asked 
politely. 

"Seasickness?"  She  raised  an  eyebrow  in 
protest.  "I  never  was  seasick  in  my  life — not 
even  in  the  roughest  crossings  of  the  Channel, 
where  others  were  quite  helpless." 

"It  is  fortunate  to  be  immune,"  said  I.  "Peo 
ple  tell  me  it  is  a  terrible  feeling — they  even 
think  they  are  going  to  die." 

Jean  Lafitte,  I  found,  had  made  quite  a  serv 
iceable  shelter,  throwing  a  tarpaulin  over  one 
of  the  long  boat's  oars.  We  pushed  our  fire 
to  the  front  of  this,  and  after  a  time  induced 
the  ladies  to  make  themselves  more  comfort 
able.  Only  with  some  protest  did  my  hearty 
pirates  agree  to  share  this  shelter  which  made 
our  sole  protection  against  the  storm. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII 

IN    WHICH    WE   ARE    CASTAWAYS 

THE  rain  came  down  dismally,  and  the  chill 
of  the  night  was  very  considerable,  as  I 
learned  soon  after  ceasing  my  own  exertions. 
The  men  made  some  sort  of  shelter  for  them 
selves  by  turning  tip  the  long  boat  and  the 
dingey  on  edge,  crawling  into  the  lee,  and 
thus  finding  a  little  protection.  All  but  John, 
my  cook.  That  calm  personage,  every  time  I 
turned,  was  at  my  elbow  in  the  dark,  standing 
silent,  waiting  for  I  knew  not  what.  For  the 
first  time,  I  realized  the  virtue  of  his  water 
proof  silk  shirt.  He  seemed  not  to  mind  the 
rain,  although  he  asked  my  consent  to  put  his 
bundle  and  his  book  under  the  shelter.  I 
stooped  down  at  the  firelight,  curious  to  see 
the  title  of  his  book.  It  was  familiar — The 
Pirate's  Own  Book! 

"Where  you   catchee   book,   John?"   I   asked 
him. 

"Litlee  boy  he  give  me;  him  'Melican  book. 
I  lead  him  some.     Plenty  good  book." 

"Yes,"    said    I;    "I    see.       That    boy'll    make 
pirates  of  us  all,  if  we  aren't  careful." 

333 


334      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"That  book,  him  tellee  what  do,  sposee  bad 
storm,"  said  John  proudly.  "I  know." 

I  walked  over  to  where  Peterson  lay,  his 
pipe  now  lighted  by  some  magic  all  his  own. 
We  now  could  see  more  plainly  the  furred  and 
yellow  gleam  of  the  lighthouse  lamp.  Peter 
son's  concern,  however,  was  all  for  the  Belle 
Helene. 

"I  hate  to  think  of  her  out  there  all  by  her 
self,"  said  he. 

"So  do  I,  Peterson.  I  hate  also  to  think  of  all 
that  ninety-three  we  left  out  there." 

We  were  standing  near  the  edge  of  the  ladies' 
shelter,  and  I  heard  Mrs.  Daniver's  voice  as  she 
put  out  her  head  at  the  edge  of  the  tarpaulin. 

"I  thought  you  said  all  the  ninety-three  was 
gone,"  said  she  with  some  interest,  as  it  appeared 
to  me. 

"No,  we  only  had  the  last  bottle  of  that  case 
at  luncheon,  Mrs.  Daniver,"  said  I.  "There 
are  yet  other  cases  out  yonder." 

"It's  a  bad  night  for  neuralgia,"  said  she 
complainingly. 

"It  is,  madam.  But  I  don't  think  I'll  pull 
out  again.  And  I  am  rejoiced  that  you  are  not 
troubled  now  with  seasickness, — that  you  never 
are."  Which  last  resulted  in  her  dignified 
silence. 


WE  ARE  CASTAWAYS  335 

Through  the  night,  there  came  continually 
the  clamoring  of  the  wild  fowl  in  the  lagoon 
back  of  us,  and  this  seemed  to  make  the  boys 
restless.  It  was  Jean  Lafitte,  next,  who  poked 
his  head  out  from  under  the  tarpaulin. 

"I've  got  the  gun  all  right,"  said  he,  "and  a 
lot  of  shells.  In  the  morning  well  go  out  and 
get  some  of  those  ducks  that  are  squawking." 

"Yes,  Jean/'  said  I;  "we're  in  one  of  the  best 
ducking  countries  on  this  whole  coast." 

"That's  fine — we  can  live  chiefly  by  huntin' 
and  fishin',  like  it  says  in  the  g'ographies." 

"If  the  wind  should  shift,"  said  I,  "we  may 
have  to  do  that  for  quite  a  time.  I  don't  know 
whether  the  lighthouse  keeper  has  a  boat  or 
not,  and  the  channel  lies  between  us  and  the 
light — it  makes  out  here  straight  to  the  Gulf. 
But  now,  be  quiet,  my  sons,  and  see  if  we 
can't  all  get  some  sleep.  I'll  take  care  of  the 
fire." 

I  passed  a  little  apart  to  hunt  for  some  drift 
wood,  my  shadow,  John,  following  -close  at 
hand.  When  I  returned  I  found  a  muffled, 
figure  standing  at  the  feeble  blaze.  Helena 
raised  her  eyes,  grave  and  serious. 

"It  was  splendid,"  said  she  in  a  low  tone  of 
voice,  addressing  not  so  much  myself  as  all  the 
world,  it  seemed  to  me. 


336     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"Get  back  in  there  and  go  to  sleep,"  said  I. 
And,  quietly  she  obeyed,  so  far  as  I  might  tell. 

For  my  own  part,  I  did  not  seek  the  shelter 
of  the  other  boat,  but,  wrapped  in  sweater  and 
slicker,  stood  in  the  rain,  John  at  my  side. 
Once  in  a  while  we  set  out  in  the  dark  to  find 
more  wood  for  the  little  fire.  In  some  way 
the  long  night  wore  on.  Toward  morning  the 
rain  ceased.  It  seemed  to  me  that  the  rocking 
search-light  of  the  Belle  Helene  made  scarce 
so  wide  an  arc  across  the  bay.  The  lighthouse 
ray  shone  less  furry  and  yellow  through  the 
night.  The  wind  began  to  lull,  coming  in  gusts, 
at  times  after  some  moments  of  calm.  The 
roll  of  the  sea  still  came  in,  but  sometimes  I 
almost  fancied  that  the  surf  was  bellowing  not 
so  loud.  And  so  at  length,  the  dawn  came, 
softening  the  gloom,  and  I  could  hear  the  roar 
of  the  great  bodies  of  wild  fowl  rising  as  they 
always  do  at  dawn,  the  tumult  of  their  wings 
rivaling  the  heavy  rhythm  of  the  surf  itself. 

The  advancing  calm  of  nature  seemed  to 
quiet  the  senses  of  the  sleepers,  even  in  their 
sleep.  Gently  making  up  the  fire  for  the  last 
time,  as  the  gray  light  began  to  come  across 
the  beach,  I  wandered  inland  a  little  way  in 
search  of  the  fresh  water  lagoon.  Its  edge 
lay  not  more  than  two  or  three  hundred  yards 


WE  ARE  CASTAWAYS  337 

back  of  our  bivouac.  So,  as  best  I  might,  I 
bathed  my  face  and  hands,  and  regretted  that 
such  things  as  soap  and  towels  had  been  for 
gotten  with  many  other  things.  Not  irremedi 
able,  our  plight;  for  now  I  could  see  the  Belle 
Helene  still  rolling  at  her  anchor,  uneasy,  but 
still  afloat;  and  in  the  daylight,  and  with  a  les 
sening  sea,  there  would  be  no  great  difficulty 
in  boarding  her  as  we  liked. 

Presently  the  others  of  the  party  were  all 
afoot,  standing  stiffly,  sluggishly,  in  the  chill  of 
dawn;  and  such  was  the  breakfast  which  my 
boy  John  presently  prepared  for  us,  that  I  con 
fess  I  began  to  make  comparisons  not  wholly 
to  his  discredit.  Now,  for  instance,  said  I  to 
myself,  had  it  been  Mrs.  Daniver  who  had 
been  forgotten  on  board  ship — but,  of  course, 
that  line  of  reasoning  might  not  be  followed 
out.  And  as  for  Mrs.  Daniver  herself,  it  was 
only  just  to  say  that  she  made  a  fair  attempt 
at  'Comradeship,  considering  that  she  had  re 
tired  without  any  aid  whatever  for  her  neural 
gia.  Helena  seemed  reticent.  The  men,  as 
usual,  ate  apart.  I  did  not  find  myself  loquaci 
ous.  Only  my  two  young  ruffians  seemed  full 
of  the  enjoyment  possible  in  such  a  situation. 

"Gee!  ain't  this  fine?"  said  L'Olonnois.  "I 
never  did  think  we'd  be  really  shipwrecked  and 


338     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

cast  away  on  a  desert  island.  This  is  just  like 
it  is  in  the  books." 

"Can  we  go  huntin'  now?"  demanded  Jean 
Lafitte,  his  mouth  still  full  of  bacon.  "And 
will  you  come  along?  There  must  be  millions 
of  them  ducks  and  geese.  I  didn't  know  there 
was  so  many  in  all  the  world." 

"You  may  go,  both  of  you,  Jean  Lafitte," 
said  I,  "if  you'll  be  careful  not  to  shoot  your 
selves.  As  for  me,  I  must  go  back  once  more 
to  the  boat,  I  fancy." 

Peterson  and  I  now  held  a  brief  conference, 
and  presently,  leaving  the  ladies  in  charge  of 
Willy  and  the  cook,  we  two,  with  Williams  to 
run  the  motor,  with  some  difficulty  launched 
the  long  boat  and  made  off  through  a  sea  none 
too  amiable,  to  go  aboard  the  Belle  Helene 
once  more — which  so  short  a  time  before  I  had 
thought  we  never  might  do  again. 

"This  is  easier  than  pulling  out  in  the  ding 
ey,"  grinned  Peterson,  as  we  approached  the 
Belle  Helene.  "Confound  that  deck-hand,  he 
might  have  got  you  drowned!  I'll  fire  him, 
sure !" 

"No,"  said  I;  "I've  been  thinking  that  over. 
There  was  a  great  deal  of  confusion,  and  after 
all,  he  may  have  thought  that  we  had  John 
with  us.  Besides,  he's  only  young,  and  he's 


WE  ARE  CASTAWAYS  339 

human.  I'll  tell  you  what  we'll  do,  Peterson — 
I'll  dock  him  a  month's  wages,  and  I'll  send 
his  wages  to  his  mother.  Meantime,  let  him 
carry  the  wood  and  water  for  a  week." 

We  found  it  not  difficult  now  to  go  aboard 
the  Belle  Hclene,  for,  in  the  lessening  seaway, 
she  rolled  not  so  evilly.  Peterson  sprang  to 
the  deck  as  the  bow  of  our  boat  rose  alongside 
on  a  wave,  and  made  fast  our  line.  When  Wil 
liams  and  I  had  followed,  we  took  a  general 
inventory  of  the  Belle  Helene.  All  the  deck 
gear  was  gone,  spare  oars  and  spars,  a  canvas 
or  so,  and  some  coils  of  rope.  Beyond  that, 
there  seemed  no  serious  damage,  unless  the 
hull  had  been  injured  by  its  pounding  during 
the  night. 

"It's  a  mud-bank  here,  I  think,  Mr.  Harry," 
said  Peterson.  "She  may  have  ripped  some  of 
her  copper  on  the  oyster  reefs,  but  she  seems 
to  bed  full  length  and  maybe  she's  not  strained, 
after  all." 

"There's  the  line  of  channel  guides,"  said  I, 
pointing  to  a  row  of  sticks  driven  into  the  mud 
a  couple  of  miles  in  length. 

"Yes,"  said  the  old  man,  "the  channel's  not 
more  than  a  biscuit  toss  from  here.  We  came 
right  across  it — if  it  hadn't  been  in  the  dark, 
we'd  have  gone  through  into  the  lee  of  the 


340     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

island  and  been  all  right.  Now  as  it  is,  we're 
all  wrong. 

"How  do  you   mean?"   I   asked. 

"How'll  we  get  that  anchor  up?"  grumbled 
he.  "If  we  start  the  engines  and  try  to  crawl 
up  by  the  capstan,  we  couldn't  pull  her  out  of 
the  mud.  If  we  put  on  a  donkey  engine  we'd 
snatch  the  bow  out  of  here  before  we  could 
lift  the  hook.  And  until  we  do,  how  are  we 
going  to  move  her?  There's  the  channel,  but 
it's  as  far  as  ever.  We  can't  sweep  her  off,  of 
course,  and  we  can't  pole  her  off." 

"Well,  Peterson,"  said  I,  "let  us,  by  all 
means,  hope  for  the  worst."  I  smiled,  seeing 
that  he  now  was  possessed  of  his  normal  gloom. 

"Well,"  said  he,  "we  went  on  at  full  tide,  and 
hard  aground  at  that.  This  wind  is  blowing 
all  the  water  out  of  Cote  Blanche.  Of  course, 
if  the  wind  should  turn  and  drive  in  again,  we 
might  move  her,  if  we  caught  her  at  high  tide 
once  more.  Until  that  happens,  I  guess  we're 
anchored  here  for  sure." 

"The  glass  is  rising  now,  Peterson,"  said  I, 
pleasantly. 

"Oh,  yes,  it  may  rise  a  little,"  said  he,  "and 
of  course  the  storm's  gone  by  for  the  time. 
But  I  don't  think  there's  going  to  be  any  good 
change  of  weather  that'll  hold,  very  soon.  But 
now,  Williams  and  I'll  go  below  and  see  if  we 


WE  ARE  CASTAWAYS  341 

can  start  a  pump.  I  expect  she's  sprung  a  leak, 
all  right." 

Shaking  his  head  in  much  apprehension,  the 
old  man  made  his  way  with  Williams,  first  into 
the  engine-room.  For  my  own  part,  I  turned 
toward  my  cabin  door.  All  at  once  as  I  did 
so  it  seemed  to  me  I  heard  a  sound.  It  came 
again,  a  sort  of  a  meek  diffident  sound,  ex 
pectant  rather  than  complaining.  And  then  I 
heard  an  unmistakable  scraping  at  the  door. 
Hastening,  I  flung  it  open.  I  was  greeted  with 
a  great  whine  of  joy  and  trust,  a  shaggy  form 
leaped  upon  me,  thrust  its  cold  nose  into  my 
face,  gave  me  much  greetings  of  whines,  and 
at  length  of  a  loud  howl  of  joy. 

"Partial !"  I  cried,  and  caught  him  by  the 
paws  as  he  put  them  on  my  shoulders  and 
rubbed  his  muzzle  along  my  cheek,  whimper 
ing;  "Partial!  Oh,  my  dear  chap,  I  say  now, 
I'm  glad  to  see  you !" 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  I  had  forgotten  Partial 
these  three  days,  other  things  being  on  my 
mind.  Once  more  our  amateurishness  in  ship 
wreck  had  nearly  cost  us  a  life.  Partial,  no 
doubt,  had  meekly  waited  at  his  usual  place 
until  ordered  to  come  out  with  the  rest.  We 
had  closed  the  doors  and  port-holes  when  we 
left  the  Belle  Helene,  and  thus  he  had  been 
locked  in. 


342      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

I  sat  down  on  one  of  the  bench  lockers  with 
Partial's  head  in  my  hand,  and  almost  my  eyes 
became  moist.  "Partial,"  said  I,  "let  me  con 
fess  the  truth  to  you.  The  woman  had  mad 
dened  me.  I  forgot  you — I  did,  and  will  own 
it  now.  It  was  a  grave  fault,  my  friend.  I 
do  not  ask  you  to  forgive  me,  and  all  I  can  do 
is  to  promise  you  such  amend  as  lies  in  my 
power.  From  now  on,  I  promise  you,  you  shall 
go  with  me  to  all  the  ends  of  the  earth.  My 
people  shall  be  your  people,  till  death  do  us 
part.  Do  you  hear  me,  Partial?" 

He  answered  by  springing  up  again  and  lick 
ing  my  face  and  hands,  whimpering  excitedly, 
glad  that  I  had  come  at  last.  "Dear  Partial," 
said  I,  "you're  no  gladder  than  I  am.  And 
what's  more,  you've  nothing  to  cost  you  peni 
tence.  Come,  we'll  go  to  the  dining-room  and 
see  whether  there's  anything  left  to  eat." 

He  followed  me  now  along  the  rolling  deck, 
and  happily  I  was  able  to  get  him  some  scraps 
for  his  breakfast.  Peterson  heard  me  talking, 
and  thrust  up  a  head  above  the  engine-room 
hatch.  He  was  as  crestfallen  as  myself  when 
I  showed  him  that,  once  more,  we  had  been 
forgetful  and  had  left  a  friend  while  busy  in 
saving  ourselves. 

I    went    once    more    to    my    cabin — Peterson 


WE  ARE  CASTAWAYS  343 

having  discovered,  apparently  to  his  great  re 
gret,  that  so  far  as  could  be  determined,  we 
had  not  started  a  seam  or  smashed  a  timber 
anywhere.  I  found  a  small  tent  among  other 
of  my  sporting  equipment  and  tossed  this  out 
to  go  in  the  long  boat's  cargo.  Another  fowl 
ing  piece  and  ammunition,  my  canvas  hunting 
coat  and  wading  boots,  followed.  Even,  I 
caught  down  from  a  nail  the  only  other  pair  of 
trousers  available  in  my  wardrobe — for  David 
son's  vast  midship  section  comported  ill  with 
my  own.  I  found  my  watch  in  these  other 
trousers,  and  putting  a  hand  in  a  pocket,  fished 
out  also  my  portemonnaie.  It  had  certain  bills 
in  it — I  presume  two  or  three  thousand  dollars 
in  all,  and  I  thrust  these  into  my  pocket.  At 
the  bottom  of  the  little  purse, — among  collar 
buttons  and  other  hard  objects, — I  found  a 
little  round  white  object,  and  once  more  be 
thought  me  of  my  pearl  which  I  had  won  on 
the  far  northern  river,  as  it  seemed  to  me  many 
years  before — the  pearl  which,  as  I  have  said, 
was  to  be  known  as  the  Belle  Helene.  I  pre 
served  it  now. 

Peterson  and  Williams,  meantime,  were  busy 
in  getting  aboard  a  case  or  so  of  water — not 
forgetting  the  ninety-three  of  which  I  reminded  the 
old  man  once  more.  Some  additional  stores  of 


344      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

bacon  and  tea,  and  a  case  of  eggs,  were  also 
taken  aboard.  At  length,  with  quite  a  little 
cargo  in  the  way  of  comforts,  we  embarked 
once  more  and  started  for  our  rude  encamp 
ment. 

"We  may  be  here  for  a  month,"  said  Peter 
son  gloomily,  looking  at  the  Belle  Helene,  now 
rolling  just  a  little,  her  keel  fast  full  length  in 
the  mud-bar.  "I  don't  think  there's  ever  going 
to  be  any  change  of  wind — it'll  blow  steadily 
this  way  for  a  week,  anyhow." 

"I  presume,  Peterson,"  said  I  coolly,  "that 
you  don't  see  the  sun  breaking  through  the 
clouds  over  there,  at  all.  And  I  fancy  that  you 
will  not  believe,  either,  that  the  sea  is  lulling 
now.  Very  well,  I  don't  want  to  make  you 
unhappy,  my  friend." 

I  heard  Williams  chuckling  as  he  stooped 
over  his  engine.  Thus,  chugging  on  merrily 
with  the  long  oily  roll  of  the  sea  under  us,  we 
presently  once  more  ran  our  surf,  and  this  time 
had  small  difficulty  in  winning  through,  for, 
once  we  felt  the  ground  under  us,  we  simply 
sprang  overboard  and  waded  in,  dragging  the 
boat  with  us,  waist-deep  sometimes  in  the  flood, 
but  on  the  whole  quite  safe. 

My  two  pirate  mates  came  down  to  the 
beach  joyously,  and  helped  us  unload.  It 


WE  ARE  CASTAWAYS  345 

seemed  that  they  had  made  something  of  a 
hunt  already,  for  with  much  pride  Jean  now 
displayed  to  me  certain  birds,  proof  of  his  own 
prowess  with  his  shotgun. 

"Some  of  'em's  good  to  eat,"  said  he.  "Reg 
ular  greenheads,  like  we  get  up  North."  I 
looked  at  the  string  of  birds,  and  saw  that  they 
were  mallards  and  teals,  a  couple  of  dozen  at 
least. 

"Fie,  fie !"  said  I.  "I  fear  you've  been  shoot 
ing  on  the  water." 

"Sure  I  did!  And  here's  four  things  that  I 
don't  suppose  are  good  to  eat — they  got  kind' 
of  snaky  heads,  and  red-colored,  too.  Ain't  no 
ducks  good  to  eat  that  ain't  got  green  heads." 

"Each  man  to  his  taste,"  said  I,  "but  if  you 
like,  you  may  have  the  green  heads,  and  I'll 
take  these  with  the  auburn  locks." 

"Pshaw!     What  are  they?"  answered  he. 

"Only  canvasbacks,"  said  I,  "and  good  fat 
ones,  too.  What  luck  have  you,  Jimmy,  my 
son?" 

"Well,  I  went  along  and  helped  carry  things," 
said  L'Olonnois. 

"What's  that  you've  got  on  a  string?"  I 
•asked  him. 

"Oh,  that,"  said  he,  flushing.  "It  ain't  noth 
ing  but  a  little  turtle.  It  had  funny  marks  on 


346      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

its  back.  I  caught  it  in  the  grass  over  there 
by  the  lake." 

Something  about  Jimmy's  little  turtle  inter 
ested  me,  and  I  picked  it  up  in  my  hands. 

"For  amateur  sportsmen,  gentlemen,"  said  I, 
"you're  doing  pretty  well.  Your  funny  little 
turtle,  Jimmy,  is  nothing  but  a  diamond-back 
terrapin.  There  are  perhaps  more  of  them  on 
this  coast  than  anywhere  else  in  the  world  to 
day.  And  Partial,  here — that  friend  of  ours 
now  leaping  excitedly  and  joyously  before 
them,  barking  at  this,  little  turtle  of  Jimmy's — 
will  perhaps  be  able  to  help  you  find  some 
more  of  them  in  the  grass — the  market  hunters 
here  hunt  them  with  dogs,  as  perhaps  you  did 
not  know." 

"We  got  some  oysters,  Sir,"  said  Willy,  com 
ing  forward  shyly  and  shamefacedly;  and 
showed  me  the  cockpit  of  the  duck  boat  pretty 
well  filled.  The  boy  had,  it  seems,  found  a 
reef  of  these  in  a  brackish  arm  which  made 
inland,  and  dug  them  by  the  simple  process  of 
stooping  down  below  the  surface  of  the  water, 
since  he  had  no  oyster  tongs. 

"Well,"  said  I,  "it  looks  as  if  we  would  fare 
pretty  well  for  lunch.  John" — and  I  called 
my  China  boy — "again  I  find  renewed  cause 
for  felicitations  on  your  rescue." 


WE  ARE  CASTAWAYS  347 

John  stood  looking  at  me  blankly. 

"You  savee,  John?"  said  I,  showing  him  one 
of  the  canvasbacks,  and  he  remarked  mildly, 
"All  litee."  If  anything,  his  lunch  was  better 
than  his  breakfast,  and  when  I  saw  him  take 
Jimmy's  funny  little  turtle  from  him  and  ex 
amine  it  with  appraising  eye,  I  felt  fairly  well 
convinced  that  we  should  not  suffer  at  the  din 
ner  hour. 

But  though  a  certain  gaiety  now  came  to 
others  of  the  party  as  we  sat  about  our  midday 
meal,  warm  now  and  well  fed,  and  although 
the  boys  excitedly  made  plans  about  putting 
up  the  tent  and  furnishing  it  and  going  into 
camp  for  the  winter,  I  could  not  share  their 
eagerness.  There  was  one  other  reticent  figure 
at  our  fireside.  Helena  sat  silent,  the  head  of 
Partial  in  her  lap.  I  felt  resentment  that  she 
should  steal  from  me  even  my  dog.  At  last, 
having  nothing  better  to  do,  I  picked  up  my 
gun,  and  slipping  on  my  coat,  started  down  the 
beach,  telling  the  boys  that  I  was  going  alone, 
perhaps  too  far  for  them  to  follow,  with  the 
purpose  of  making  some  sort  of  an  exploration 
of  the  island. 

Moody  and  depressed,  not  in  the  least  well 
satisfied  with  life,  even  with  matters  thus  so 
far  more  fortunate  than  we  had  so  recently 


348      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

had  reason  to  expect,  I  walked  along  the  hard 
sand,  sometimes  looking  at  the  long  lines  of 
wild  fowl  streaming  in  above  the  fresh-water 
lagoon,  but  in  reality  thinking  but  little  of 
these.  I  did  not  at  first  hear  the  light  step 
which  came  behind  me  on  the  sand. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV 

IN    WHICH  IS   NO   RAPPROCHEMENT   WITH   THE 
FAIR    CAPTIVE 

fSTTARRY!"    I   heard   her   call,    and   turned 

rl   quickly.     "Harry,  wait!" 

She  came  hurrying  up  toward  me.  I  felt 
my  color  rise.  Awkwardly,  I  stood  waiting, 
and  did  not  greet  her.  I  cast  a  quick  glance 
the  other  way  down  the  beach.  It  would  be  a 
hundred  yards  before  the  first  bend  of  the 
shore-line  would  carry  us  behind  the  tall  rushes. 
Meantime,  we  were  in  full  sight  of  all. 

Partial,  who  had  followed  me  when  I  whis 
tled,  now  greeted  her  more  joyously  than  did 
his  master. 

"Yes?"  said  I  dully;  "I  suppose  you  came 
to  take  away  my  dog  from  me,  didn't  you? 
It  was  all  that  was  left." 

"Of  course,"  said  she  coloring.  "I  didn't 
know  but  what  Partial  might  be  hungry." 

"It  is  I  who  am  hungry,  Helena,"  said  I. 
"I  have  long  been  hungry — for  a  look,  a  word." 

She  did  not  smile,  showed  not  any  trace  of 
coquetry  in  her  mien,  but  paced  on  with  me 
now  down  the  beach.  I  suppose  she  knew 

349 


350     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

when  we  had  turned  the  point  of  rushes,  for 
now  she  laid  her  hand  on  my  rough  canvas 
sleeve.  It  must  have  cost  her  effort  to  do  that. 

"Harry,  what's  wrong  with  you?"  said  she 
after  a  time,  since  I  still  remained  moodily 
staring  ahead.  I  did  not  answer,  would  not 
look  at  her  for  a  time,  but  at  length  she 
turned.  She  stood,  I  say,  with  her  hand  on 
my  arm,  her  chin  raised  fully,  her  serious  eyes 
fixed  on  me.  The  dark  hair  was  blown  all 
about  her  face.  She  had  on  over  her  long 
white  sweater  a  loose  silk  waterproof  of  some 
sort,  which  blew  every  way,  but  did  not  dis 
turb  the  lines  of  her  tall  figure,  nor  lessen  the 
pale  red  and  white  which  the  sea  breeze  had 
stung  into  her  cheeks.  She  did  not  smile,  and 
her  eyes,  I  say,  looked  steadily  and  seriously 
into  mine. 

"What's  wrong  with  you?"  she  asked,  frown 
ing  slightly,  as  it  seemed  to  me. 

"Everything  in  the  world  is  wrong  with  me, 
as  you  know  very  well,"  said  I.  "Am  I  not 
a  poor  man?  Am  I  not  an  unsuccessful  lover? 
Am  I  not  a  failure  under  every  test  which  you 
can  apply?  Am  I  not  a  coward — did  you  not 
tell  me  so  yourself?" 

Her  eyes  grew  damp  slowly.  "I  didn't  mean 
it,"  said  she. 


THE  FAIR  CAPTIVE  351 

"Then  why  did  you  say  it?" 

"It  was  long  before — that  was  before  last 
night,  Harry.  You  forget." 

"What  if  it  was?"  I  demanded.  "I  was  the 
same  man  then  that  I  was  last  night." 

"I  didn't  mean  it,  Harry,"  said  she,  her  voice 
low.  Her  hand  was  still  on  my  arm.  Her  eye 
now  was  cast  down,  the  tip  of  her  toe  was 
tracing  a  circle  on  the  wet  sand  where  we 
stood. 

"I  didn't  think,"  said  she,  after  a  little  while. 

"I  presume  not,"  said  I  coldly.  "Sometimes 
women  do  not  stop  to  think.  You  have  not 
stopped  to  think  that  there  is  a  limit  even  to 
what  my  love  would  stand,  Helena.  Now, 
much  as  I  love  you — and  I  never  loved  you  so 
much  as  I  do  now — I'll  never  again  ask  you 
for  what  you  can  not  give  me.  I've  been 
rubbed  the  wrong  way  all  I  can  stand,  and 
I'll  not  have  it  any  more.  I've  brought  you 
here,  yes,  and  I'm  sorry  enough  for  it.  But 
I'm  going  to  fix  all  that  now,  soon  as  I  can." 

"What  do  you  mean,  Harry?"  she  asked 
quietly. 

"Yonder,  across  the  bay,"  said  I,  pointing, 
"runs  a  channel.  That's  the  Cheniere.  I  pre 
sume  the  lighthouse  boats  come  from  in  there. 
Maybe  there'll  be  one  down  after  the  storm 


352     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

in  a  day  or  so.  He'll  take  out  a  message,  and 
get  it  on  some  boat  bound  for  Morgan  City, 
perhaps." 

"And  what  then?" 

"Why,  I  shall  send  out  any  message  you 
like,  beside  my  own  message  to  the  parents  of 
these  boys  of  mine.  And  I'll  send  a  message, 
too,  to  my  friend,  Manning." 

She  turned  her  eyes  where  I  pointed  once 
more,  this  time  seemingly  northward  across 
the  bay.  "Yonder  is  still  another  channel," 
said  I,  "not  twenty  miles  from  where  we  stand. 
It  runs  back  to  the  live-oak  islands  where  my 
friend  Manning  has  his  plantation.  If  the 
tide  serves  and  we  can  get  the  yacht  afloat, 
it  won't  take  us  long  to  get  in  there.  Once 
there,  you  are  safe;  and  once  there,  I  say  goocl- 
by.  Judge  for  yourself  whether  or  not  this  is 
the  last  time." 

"And  when  will  that  be,  Harry?"  she  de 
manded,  still  tracing  some  figure  on  the  sand 
with  the  toe  of  her  little  boot. 

"That,  I  have  said,  is  something  I  can  not 
tell.  But  as  soon  as  possible,  rest  assured." 

She  was  silent  now,  confused,  a  little  abash 
ed,  a  mood  entirely  new  to  her  in  my  recollec 
tion  of  her  many  moods.  Her  hand  still  lay 
upon  my  coarse  canvas  sleeve  as  though  she 


THE  FAIR  CAPTIVE  353 

had  forgotten  it.  I  bent  now  and  kissed  it. 
"Harry,"  said  she  in  a  whisper,  "don't  you 
care  for  me  any  more?" 

"Go  back  to  the  camp,  Helena,"  said  I;  "you 
know  I  do,  but  I've  done  enough  for  you,  and 
I'll  do  no  more.  All  a  coward  can  do  to  keep 
you  safe  I  have  done,  but  I'm  no  such  coward 
as  to  follow  you  around  now  and  dangle  at 
your  apron  strings.  It's  good-by  once  more. 
What  are  you,"  I  demanded  fiercely,  once 
more,  "that  you  should  walk  over  my  soul 
again  and  again?  Hasn't  there  got  to  be  an 
end  to  that  sort  of  thing  some  time,  and  don't 
you  think  there  is  an  end  for  me?  Go  back 
and  tell  your  aunt  that  you  have  won.  And 
much  joy  may  you  both  have  in  your  winning." 

I  kissed  her  hand,  flung  it  off,  turned  and 
went  down  the  beach.  She  did  not  look  about, 
but  presently  as  I  saw,  turned  and  went  back 
toward  the  camp,  her  head  hanging.  And,  as 
I  had  said  to  her,  I  never  loved  her  so  much 
in  all  my  life,  though  never  was  I  so  little  dis 
posed  to  go  one  step  in  her  pursuit. 

Partial  sat,  looking  after  her  also,  his  heart 
torn  in  the  division  between  us,  for  he  loved 
us  both. 

"Partial,"  I  called  to  him  harshly,  and  he 
came,  his  ears  down  and  very  unhappy.  Si- 


354     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

lently,  the  dog  at  my  heels,  I  strode  on  down 
the  beach,  and  so  I  saw  her  no  more  for  some 
time. 

I  found  for  myself  a  driftwood  log  at  the 
edge  of  the  sea-marsh,  and  here  for  a  time  I  sat 
down,  moodily  staring  out  across  the  bay,  as 
unhappy,  I  fancy,  as  man  gets  to  be  in  this 
world.  I  scarce  know  how  long  I  sat  here,  in 
the  wind  which  blew  salt  across  the  bay,  and 
for  some  time,  I  paid  no  attention  to  the 
clamoring  fowl  which  passed  and  repassed  not 
far  from  my  point. 

At  length,  a  long  harrow  of  great  Canadian 
geese  passed  so  close  to  me  that  without  much 
thought  about  it,  I  raised  the  gun  and  fired. 
I  killed  two  birds,  and  as  I  picked  them  up  I 
found  they  were  not  a  brace,  but  a  pair.  The 
report  of  my  gun  started  a  clamoring  of  all 
manner  of  fowl  beyond  the  edge  of  reeds  which 
hid  the  reef.  A  cloud  of  ducks  passed  before 
me,  and  slipping  in  the  shells  once  more,  I 
fired  right  and  left.  Again  I  killed  my  brace, 
and  again  when  I  picked  them  up  they  were 
a  pair.  The  head  of  one  was  green,  the  other 
brown.  "Male  and  female  made  He  them !" 
said  I.  "If  I  had  not  killed  these  birds,  in  the 
spring  they  would  have  gone  northward,  to 
the  edge  of  the  world  in  their  own  love-making, 


THE  FAIR  CAPTIVE  355 

thousands  of  miles  from  here."  I  looked  at 
my  quarry  with  remorse,  and  not  caring  to 
shoot  more,  at  length  picked  up  the  birds  and 
slowly  started  back  to  camp,  not  looking  for 
ward  with  any  too  great  pleasure,  it  may  be 
imagined,  to  further  meetings  with  the  .woman 
whom,  of  all  the  world,  I  most  cared  to  meet. 

I  found  all  the  others  of  the  party  amiably 
engaged  in  camp  affairs.  The  tent  now  was 
up,  the  fire  was  arranged  in  more  practical 
fashion,  and  John  was  busy  with  his  pans.  La- 
fitte,  ever  resourceful  and  ever  busy,  was  out 
with  Willy  after  more  oysters.  L'Olonnois,  his 
partner,  seemed  engaged  in  some  sort  of  ar 
gument  with  his  Auntie  Helena. 

"Jimmy,  I  can't!"  I  heard  her  say.  "There 
isn't  any  sugar." 

"Aw!"  said  he,  "there's  plenty  of  sugar,  ain't 
there,  John  ?"  And  that  worthy  smiled  as  he 
pointed  toward  an  open  canister  of  that  dainty. 

"But  I  haven't  any  pan." 

"Yes,  you  have,  too,  got  a  pan.  Here's  one 
a-settin'  right  here  in  front  of  you.  Come  on 
now,  Auntie.  We're  goin'  to  have  cluck  and 
terrapin  and  oysters  and  everything — all  a  fel 
low  would  want,  besides  that,  is  just  fudges." 

Helena  stood  preoccupied  and  hesitant,  hard 
ly  hearing  what  he  said,  as  I  fancy.  At  once 


356      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

L'Olonnois'  attitude  changed.  Folding  his  arms, 
he  turned  toward  her  sternly. 

"Woman!"  said  he,  "are  you  not  a  captive 
to  our  band?  Then  who  gives  orders  here? 
Either  you  make  fudges,  or  your  life's  blood 
stains  these  sands!" 

"Oh,  all  right,  Jimmy,"  she  said  listlessly. 
"I'll  make  them,  if  you  like." 

"You'd  better,"  remarked  that  worthy  sen- 
tentiously.  "Of  course,"  he  added,  seeking  to 
mollify  his  victim,  over  whom  he  thus  domi 
neered,  "it  ain't  just  like  it  is  back  home  on 
the  stove,  but  you'll  have  to  get  used  to  that, 
because  we're  going  to  live  here  forever.  And," 
he  added,  casting  a  glance  of  his  stern  blue 
eyes  upon  her,  "it  is  the  part  of  the  captive 
maid  ever  to  live  happily  with  the  chief  of  the 
pirate  band." 

Whereupon  Helena  and  Jimmy  both  looked 
up  and  saw  me  standing,  unwilling  listener  to 
all  that  had  been  said.  Helena  moved  away 
and  pretended  to  be  busy  with  the  material 
for  her  confections. 

"Aw,  shucks,  Black  Bart,"  said  Jimmy,  turn 
ing  to  me — "ain't  that  just  like  a  woman? — 
They  won't  never  play  the  game." 


CHAPTER  XXXV 

IN    WHICH    I    FIND    TWO    ESTIMABLE    FRIENDS,    BUT 
LOSE  ONE   BELOVED 

THE  weather  now,  moderating,  after  the 
fashion  of  weather  on  this  coast,  as  rap 
idly  as  it  had  become  inclement,  we  passed  a 
more  comfortable  night  on  our  desert  island. 
No  doubt  the  lighthouse  tender  knew  of  our 
presence,  for  he  easily  could  see  our  tent  by 
day  and  our  fire  by  night,  and  he  surely  must 
have  seen  our  good  ship  riding  at  anchor  under 
his  nose  at  the  edge  of  the  channel;  but  no 
visit  came  from  that  official — for  the  very  good 
reason,  as  we  later  learned,  that  the  storm 
had  stove  in  his  boat  at  her  mooring;  so  that 
all  he  himself  could  do  was  to  cross  his  Cajun 
bosom  and  pray  that  his  supply  skiff  might 
come  from  across  the  bay.  So,  as  much  alone 
as  the  Swiss  family  by  name  of  Robinson — an 
odd  name  for  a  Swiss  family,  it  always  seemed 
to  me — we  remained  on  our  desert  island  un 
disturbed,  the  ladies  now  in  the  comfortable 
tent,  my  hardy  pirates  under  the  tarpaulin,  and 
the  rest  of  us  as  we  liked  or  might,  all  in  beds 
of  the  sweet  scented  grasses  which  grew  along 

357 


358      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

the  lagoon  where  the  great  ranks  of  wild  fowl 
kept  up  their  chatter  day  and  night. 

It  was  a  land  of  plenty,  and  any  but  a  man 
in  my  situation  might  well  have  been  content 
there  for  many  days.  Content  was  not  in  my 
own  soul.  I  was  up  by  dawn  and  busy  about 
the  boats,  before  any  sign  of  life  was  visible 
around  the  tent  or  the  canvas  shelter.  But 
since  the  sun  rose  warm,  it  yet  was  early  when 
we  met  at  John's  breakfast  fire.  I  felt  myself 
a  shabby  figure,  for  in  my  haste  I  had  forgot 
ten  my  razors;  and  by  now  my  clothing  was 
sadly  soiled  and  stained,  even  the  most  famous 
of  the  Davidson  waistcoats  being  the  worse 
for  the  salt-water  immersions  it  had  known; 
and  my  ancient  flannels  were  corkscrewing 
about  my  limbs.  But  as  for  Helena,  young 
and  vital,  she  discarded  her  sweater  for  break 
fast,  and  appeared  as  she  had  before  the  ship 
wreck,  in  lace  bridge  coat  and  wearing  many 
gems!  L'Olonnois,  with  the  intimacy  of  kin 
and  the  admiration  of  youth — and  with  youth's 
lack  of  tact — saluted  her  now  gaily.  "Gee! 
Auntie,"  said  he,  at  table  on  the  sand,  "togged 
out  that  way,  all  them  glitterin'  gems,  you 
shore  look  fit  for  a  pirate's  bride!" 

Poor  Helena!  She  blushed  red  to  the  hair; 
and  I  fear  I  did  no  better  myself.  "Jimmy!" 
reproved  Aunt  Lucinda. 


I  FIND  TWO  FRIENDS  359 

"Don't  call  me  'Jimmy' I"  rejoined  that  hope 
ful.  "My  name  is  L'Olonnois,  the  Scourge  of 
The  Sea.  Me  an'  Jean  Lafitte,  we  follow  Black 
Bart  the  Avenger,  to  the  Spanish  Main. 
Auntie,  pass  me  the  bacon,  please.  I'm  just  about 
starved." 

Mrs.  Daniver,  as  was  her  custom,  ate  a  very 
substantial  breakfast;  Helena,  almost  none  at 
all:  nor  had  I  much  taste  for  food.  In  some 
way,  our  constraint  insensibly  extended  to  all 
the  party,  much  to  L'Olonnois'  disgust.  "It's 
her  fault!"  I  overheard  him  say  to  his  mate. 
"Women  can't  play  no  games.  An'  we  was 
havin'  such  a  bully  chance !  Now,  like's  not, 
we  won't  stay  here  longer'n  it'll  take  to  get 
things  back  to  the  boat  again.  I  don't  want  to 
go  back  home — I'd  rather  be  a  pirate;  an'  so'd 
any  fellow." 

"Sure  he  would,"  assented  Jean.  They  did 
not  see  me,  behind  the  tent. 

"Somethin's  wrong,"  began  L'Olonnois,  por 
tentously. 

"What'd  you  guess?"  queried  Lafitte.  "Looks 
to  me  like  it  was  somethin'  between  him  an* 
the  fair  captive." 

"That's  just  it — that's  just  what  I  said! 
Now,  if  Black  Bart  lets  his  whiskers  grow,  an' 
Auntie  Helena  wears  them  rings,  ain't  it  just 
like  in  the  book?  Course  it  is!  But  here  they 


360      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

go,  don't  eat  nothing  don't  talk  none  to  no 
body." 

"I'll  tell  you  what!"  began  Lafitte. 

"Uh-huh,  what?"  demanded  L'Olonnois. 

"A  great  wrong  has  been  did  our  brave 
leader  by  yon  heartless  jade;  that's  what!" 

"You  betcher  life  they  has.  He's  on  the 
square,  an'  look  what  he  done  for  us — look 
how  he  managed  things  all  the  way  clown  to 
here.  Anybody  else  couldn't  have  got  away 
with  this.  Anybody  else'd  never  a'  went  out 
there  last  night  after  John,  just  a  Chink,  that- 
away.  An'  her!" 

Jimmy's  disapproval  of  his  auntie,  as  thus 
expressed,  was  extreme.  I  was  now  about  to 
step  away,  but  feared  detection,  so  unwillingly 
heard  on. 

"But  he  can't  see  no  one  else  but  yon  fickle 
jade !"  commented  Jean  Lafitte,  "unworthy  as 
she  is  of  a  bold  chief's  regard!" 

"Nope.  That's  what's  goin'  to  make  all  the 
trouble.  I'll  tell  you  what!" 

"What?" 

"We'll   have   to   fix   it   up,   somehow." 

"How'd   you   mean?" 

"Why,   reason  it   out  with   'em  both." 

Jean  apparently  shook  his  head,  or  had  some 
look  of  dubiousness,  for  L'Olonnois  went  on. 


I  FIND  TWO  FRIENDS  361 

"We  gotta  do  it,  somehow.  If  we  don't,  we'll 
about  have  to  go  back  home;  an*  who  wants  to 
go  back  home  from  a  good  old  desert  island  like 
this  here.  So  now " 

"Uh,  huh?" 

"Why,  I'll  tell  you,  now.  You  see,  I  got 
some  pull  with  her — the  fair  captive.  She 
used  to  lick  me,  but  she  don't  dast  to  try  it  on 
here  on  a  desert  island:  so  I  got  some  pull. 
An'  like  enough  you  c'd  talk  it  over  with  Black 
Bart." 

"Nuh— uh!     I  don't  like  to." 

"Why?" 

"Well,  I  don't.     He's  all  right." 

"Yes,  but  we  got  to  get  'em  together!" 

"Shore.  But,  my  idea,  he's  hard  to  get  to 
gether  if  he  gets  a  notion  he  ain't  had  a  square 
deal  nohow,  someways." 

"Well,  he  ain't.  So  that  makes  my  part  the 
hardest.  But  you  just  go  to  him,  and  tell  him 
not  to  hurry,  because  you  are  informed  the  fair 
captive  is  goin'  to  relent,  pretty  soon,  if  we 
just  don't  get  in  too  big  a  hurry  and  run  away 
from  a  place  like  this — where  the  duck  shootin' 
is  immense!" 

"But  kin  you  work  her,  Jimmy?" 

"Well,  I  dunno.  She's  pretty  set,  if  she 
thinks  she  ain't  had  a  square  deal,  too." 


362     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"Well  now,"  argued  Lafitte,  "if  that's  the 
way  they  both  feel,  either  they're  both  wrong 
an'  ought  to  shake  hands,  or  else  one  of  'em's 
wrong,  and  they  either  ought  to  get  together 
an'  find  out  which  it  was,  or  else  they  ought 
to  leave  it  to  some  one  else  to  say  which  one 
was  wrong.  Ain't  that  so?" 

"O'  course  it's  so.  So  now,  thing  fer  us 
fellows  to  do,  is  just  to  put  it  before  'em 
plain,  anj  get  'em  both  to  leave  it  to  us  two 
fellers  what's  right  fer  'em  both  to  do.  Now, 
/  think  they'd  ought  to  get  married,  both  of 
'em — I  mean  to  each  other,  you  know.  Folks 
does  get  married." 

"Black  Bart  would,"  said  Jean  Lafitte.  "I'll 
bet  anything.  The  fair  captive,  she's  a  heart 
less  jade,  but  I  seen  Black  Bart  lookin'  at  her, 
an' " 

"An5  I  seen  her  lookin'  at  him — leastways  a 
picture — an'  says  she,  'Jimmy 

"Jimmy!"  It  was  I,  myself,  red  and  angry, 
who  now  broke  from  my  unwilling  eavesdrop 
ping. 

The  two  boys  turned  to  me  innocently.  I 
found  it  difficult  to  say  anything  at  all,  and 
wisest  to  say  nothing.  "I  was  just  going  to 
ask  if  you  two  wouldn't  like  to  take  the  guns 
and  go  out  after  some  more  ducks — especially 


I  FIND  TWO   FRIENDS  363 

the  kind  with  red  heads  and  flat  noses,  such  as 
we  had  yesterday.  And  I'll  lend  you  Partial, 
so  you  can  try  for  some  more  of  those  funny 
little  turtles.  I'll  have  to  go  out  to  the  ship, 
and  also  over  to  the  lighthouse,  before  long, 
The  tide  will  turn,  perhaps,  and  at  least  the 
wind  is  offshore  from  the  island  now." 

"Sure,  we'll  go.''  Jean  spoke  for  both  at 
once. 

"Very  well,  then.  And  be  careful.  And  you'd 
— you'd  better  leave  your  auntie  and  her 
auntie  alone,  Jimmy — they'll  want  to  sleep." 

"You  didn't  hear  us  sayin'  nothin',  did  you, 
Black  Bart?"  asked  L'Ollonois,  suspiciously. 

"By  Jove!  I  believe  that's  a  boat  beating 
down  the  bay,"  said  I.  "Sail  ho!"  And  so 
eager  were  they  that  they  forgot  my  omission 
of  direct  reply. 

"It's  very  likely  only  the  lighthouse  supply 
boat  coming  in,"  said  I.  "I'll  find  out  over 
there.  Better  run  along,  or  the  morning  flight 
of  the  birds  will  be  over."  So  they  ran  along. 

As  for  myself,  I  called  Peterson  and  Williams 
for  another  visit  to  our  disabled  ship,  which 
now  lay  on  a  level  keel,  white  and  glistening, 
rocking  gently  in  the  bright  wind.  I  left  word 
for  the  ladies  that  we  might  not  be  back  for 
luncheon. 


364     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

We  found  that  the  piling  waters  of  Cote 
Blanche,  erstwhile  blown  out  to  sea,  were  now 
slowly  settling  back  again  after  the  offshore 
storm.  The  Belle  Helene  had  risen  from  her 
bed  in  the  mud  now  and  rode  free.  Our 
soundings  showed  us  that  it  would  be  easy 
now  to  break  out  the  anchor  and  reach  the 
channel,  just  ahead.  So,  finding  no  leak  of  con 
sequence,  and  the  beloved  engines  not  the 
worse  for  wear,  Williams  went  below  to  get 
up  some  power,  while  Peterson  took  the  wheel 
and  I  went  forward  to  the  capstan. 

The  donkey  winch  soon  began  its  work,  and 
I  felt  the  great  anchor  at  length  break  away 
and  come  apeak.  The  current  of  the  air  swung 
us  before  we  had  all  made  fast;  and  as  I 
sounded  with  a  long  bow  pike,  I  presently 
called  out  to  Peterson,  "No  bottom!"  He  nod 
ded;  and  now,  slowly,  we  took  the  channel  and 
moved  on  in  opposite  the  light.  We  could  see 
the  white-capped  gulf  rolling  beyond. 

"Water  there!"  said  Peterson.  "We  can  go 
on  through,  come  around  in  the  Morrison  cut 
off,  and  so  make  the  end  of  the  Manning  chan 
nel  to  the  mainland.  But  I  wish  we  had  a 
local  pilot." 

I  nodded.  "Drop  her  in  alongside  this  fel 
low's  wharf,"  I  added.  "The  ladies  have  sent 


I  FIND  TWO  FRIENDS  365 

some  letters — to  go  out  by  the  tender's  boat, 
yonder — I  suppose  he'll  be  going  back  to-day." 

"Like  enough,"  said  Peterson;  and  so  gently 
we  moved  on  up  the  dredged  channel,  and  at 
last  made  fast  at  the  tumble-down  wharf  of 
the  lighthouse;  courteously  waiting  for  the 
little  craft  of  the  tender  to  make  its  landing. 

We  found  the  mooring  none  too  good,  what 
with  the  storm's  work  at  the  wharf,  and  as  we 
shifted  our  lines  a  time  or  two,  the  gaping, 
jeans-clad  Cajun  who  had  come  in  with  mail 
and  supplies  passed  in  to  the  lighthouse  ahead 
of  us;  and  I  wonder  his  head  did  not  twist 
quite  off  its  neck,  for  though  he  walked  for 
ward,  he  ever  looked  behind  him. 

When  at  length  we  two,  Peterson  and  my 
self,  passed  up  the  rickety  walk  to  the  equally 
rickety  gallery  at  the  foot  of  the  light,  we 
found  two  very  badly  frightened  men  instead 
of  a  single  curious  one.  The  keeper  in  sooth 
had  in  hand  a  muzzle-loading  shotgun  of  such 
extreme  age,  connected  with  such  extreme 
length  of  barrel,  as  might  have  led  one  to  sus 
pect  it  had  grown  an  inch  or  so  annually  for 
all  of  many  decades.  He  was  too  much  fright 
ened  to  make  active  resistance,  however,  and 
only  warned  us  away,  himself,  now,  a  pale 
saffron  in  color. 


366     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"Keep  hout!"  he  commanded.  "No,  you'll 
didn't!" 

"We'll  didn't  what,  my  friend?"  began  I 
mildly.  "Don't  you  like  my  looks?  Not  that 
I  blame  you  if  you  do  not.  But  has  the  boat 
brought  down  any  milk  or  eggs  that  you  can 
spare?" 

"No  milluk — no  haig!"  muttered  the  light 
tender;  and  they  would  have  closed  the  door. 

"Come,  come  now,  my  friends!"  I  rejoined 
testily.  "Suppose  you  haven't,  you  can  at  least 
be  civil.  I  want  to  talk  with  you  a  minute. 
This  is  the  power  yacht  Belle  Helene,  of  Mack 
inaw,  cruising  on  the  Gulf.  We  went  aground 
in  the  storm ;  and  all  we  want  now  is  to  send 
out  a  little  mail  by  you  to  Morgan  City,  or 
wherever  you  go;  and  to  pass  the  time  of  day 
with  you,  as  friends  should.  What's  wrong — 
do  you  think  us  a  government  revenue  boat, 
and  are  you  smuggling  stuff  from  Cuba  through 
the  light  here?" 

"We  no  make  hany  smug*,"  replied  the 
keeper.  "But  we  know  you,  who  you  been!" 

He  smote  now  upon  an  open  newspaper, 
whose  wrapper  still  lay  on  the  floor.  I  glanced, 
and  this  time  I  saw  a  half-page  cut  of  the 
Belle  Helene  herself,  together  with  portraits  of 
myself,  Mrs.  Daniver,  MU*  Emory  and  two 


I  FIND  TWO  FRIENDS  367 

wholly  imaginary  and  fearsome  boys  who  very 
likely  were  made  up  from  newspaper  portraits 
of  the  James  Brothers!  Moreover,  my  hasty 
glance  caught  sight  of  a  line  in  large  letters, 
reading : 

TEN  THOUSAND  DOLLARS  REWARD! 

"Peterson,"  said  I  calmly,  handing  him  the 
paper,  "tney  seem  to  be  after  us,  and  to  value 
us  rather  high." 

He  glanced,  his  eyes  eager;  but  Peterson, 
while  a  professional  doubter,  was  personally  a 
man  of  whose  loyalty  and  whose  courage  I, 
myself,  had  not  the  slightest  doubt. 

"Let  'em  come!"  said  he.  "We're  on  our 
own  way  and  about  our  own  business;  and  out 
side  the  three  mile  zone,  let  'em  follow  us  on 
the  high  seas  if  they  like.  She's  sound  as  a 
bell,  Mr.  Harry,  and  once  we  get  her  docked 
and  her  port  shaft  straight,  there's  nothing  can 
touch  her  on  the  Gulf.  Let  'em  come." 

"But  we  can't  dock  here,  my  good  Peterson." 

"Well,  we  can  beat  'em  with  one  engine  and 
one  screw.  Besides,  what  have  we  done?" 

"Haint  you  was  'hrobber,  han  ron  hoff  with 
those  sheep?"  demanded  the  keeper  excitedly. 

"No,  we  are  not  ship  thieves  but  gentlemen, 
my  friend,"  I  answered,  suddenly  catching  at 
his  long  gun  and  setting  it  behind  me.  "You 


368     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

might  let  that  go  off,"  I  explained.  At  which 
he  went  yellower  than  ever,  a  thing  I  had 
thought  impossible. 

"Now,  look  here,"  said  I.  "Suppose  we  are 
robbers,  pirates,  what  you  like,  and  suppose  a 
price  is  put  on  our  heads — a  price  which  means 
a  jolly  nice  libel  suit  for  each  paper  printing 
it,  by  the  way,  or  a  jolly  nice  apology — none 
the  less,  we  are  a  strong  band  and  without 
fear  either  of  the  law  or  of  you.  Here  you 
are  alone,  and  not  a  sail  is  in  sight.  If  any 
boat  did  come  here,  we  could — well,  we  could 
blow  her  out  of  the  water,  couldn't  we,  Peter 
son?  We  could  blow  you  out  of  the  water, 
too,  couldn't  we,  we  and  these  ruffians  of  our 
crew?" — and  I  pointed  at  the  two  low-browed 
pictures  of  Lafitte  and  L'Olonnois. 

A  shudder  was  my  only  answer.  I  think  the 
two  portraits  of  my  young  bullies  did  the  busi 
ness. 

"Very  well,  then,"  I  resumed,  "it  is  plain, 
Messieurs,  that  there  is  many  a  slip  between 
the  reward  and  the  pocket,  voyez  vousf  Bien! 
But  here — "  and  I  thrust  a  hand  into  my  pocket — 
"is  a  reward  much  closer  home,  and  far  easier  to 
attain." 

Their  eyes  bulged  as  they  saw  two  or  three 
thousand  dollars  in  big  bills  smoothed  out. 


I  FIND  TWO  FRIENDS  369 

"Ecoutes,  Messieurs!"  said  I.  "Behold  here 
not  enemies,  but  men  of  like  mind.  I  speak  of 
men  who  live  by  the  sea,  men  of  the  old  home 
of  Jean  Lafitte,  that  great  merchant,  that  bold 
soldier,  who  did  so  much  to  save  his  country 
at  the  Battle.  Even  now  he  has  thousands  of 
friends  and  hundreds  of  relatives  in  this  land. 
You  yourself,  I  doubt  not,  Messieurs,  are  dis 
tant  cousins  of  Jean  Lafitte?  N'est-ce  pas?" 

They  crossed  themselves,  but  murmured  "Ba- 
oui!"  "Est  ees  the  trut'!  How  did  Monsieur 
know?"  asked  the  tender. 

"I  know  many  things.  I  know  that  any 
cousin  descended  from  those  brave  days  loves 
the  sea  and  its  ways  more  than  he  loves  the 
law.  And  if  money  has  come  easy — as  this 
did — what  harm  if  a  cousin  should  take  the 
price  of  a  rat-skin  or  two  and  carry  out  a  letter 
or  so  to  the  railway,  and  keep  a  close  mouth 
about  it  as  well?  To  the  good  old  days,  and 
Messieurs,  my  friends!"  I  had  seen  the  neck 
of  a  flask  in  Peterson's  pocket,  and  now  I  took 
it  forth,  unscrewed  the  top,  and  passed  it,  with 
two  bills  of  one  hundred  dollars  each. 

They  poured,  grinned.  I  stood,  waiting  for 
their  slow  brains  to  act,  but  there  was  only  a 
foregone  answer.  The  keeper  drank  first,  as 
ranking  his  tender;  the  other  followed;  and 


370     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

they  handed  the  flask — not  the  bills — back  to 
Peterson  and  me. 

"Merci,  mes  amis!"  said  I.  "And  I  drink  to 
Jean  Lafitte  and  the  old  days!  Perhaps,  you 
may  buy  a  mass  for  your  cousin's  soul?" 

"Ah  non!"  answered  the  keeper.  "Hees  soul 
she's  hout  of  Purgatoire  long  hago  eef  she'll  goin' 
get  hout.  Me,  I  buy  me  some  net  for  s'rimp." 

"An'  me,  two  harpent  more  Ian'  for  my 
farm,"  quoth  the  tender. 

"Alas!  poor  Jean!"  said  I.  "But  he  was  so 
virtuous  a  man  that  he  needs  no  masses  after 
a  hundred  years,  perhaps.  As  you  like.  You 
will  take  the  letters;  and  this  for  the  tele 
graph?" 

"Certain'!  I'll  took  it  those,"  answered  the 
tender.  "You'll  stayed  for  dish  coffee,  yass?" 
inquired  the  keeper,  with  Cajun  hospitality. 

"No,  I  fear  it  is  not  possible,  thank  you,"  I  re 
plied.  "We  must  be'  going  soon." 

"An'   where   you'll   goin',    Monsieur?" 

"Around  the  island,  up  the  channel,  up  the 
old  oyster-boat  channel  of  Monsieur  Edouard. 
The  letters  are  some  of  them  for  Monsieur 
Edouard  himself.  And  you  know  well,  mes 
amis,  that  once  we  lie  at  the  wharf  of  Monsieur 
Edouard,  not  the  government  even  of  the  state 
will  touch  us  yonder?" 


I  FIND  TWO  FRIENDS  371 

"My  faith,  non!  I  should  say  it — certain'  not! 
No  man  he'll  mawnkey  wit'  Monsieur  Edouard, 
heem!  You'll  was  know  him,  Monsieur?" 

"We  went  to  school  together.  We  smoked 
the  same  pipe." 

"My  faith!  You'll  know  Monsieur  Ed 
ouard!"  The  keeper  shook  my  hand.  "HT11 
was  work  for  Monsieur  Edouard  manny  tarn 
hon  hees  boat,  hon  hees  plantation,  hon  hees 
'ouse.  When  I'll  want  some  leetle  money, 
s'pose  those  hrat  he'll  wasn't  been  prime  yet, 
hall  HT11  need  was  to  go  non  Monsieur  Ed 
ouard,  hask  for  those  leetle  monny.  He'll 
han'  it  on  me,  yass,  heem,  ten  dollar,  jus'  like 
as  heasy  Monsieur  has  gave  it  me  hondred  dol 
lar  now,  yas,  heem!" 

"Yes?  Well,  I  know  that  a  cousin  of  Jean 
Lafitte — who  no  doubt  has  dug  for  treasure  all 
over  the  dooryard  of  Monsieur  Edouard " 

"But  not  behin'  the  smoke-house — nevair  on 
dose  place  yet,  I'll  swear  it!" 

" — Very  well,  suppose  you  have  not  yet  in 
cluded  the  smoke-house  of  Monsieur  Edouard, 
at  least  you  are  his  friend.  And  what  Acadian 
lives  who  is  not  a  friend  of  the  ladies?" 

"Certain',   Monsieur." 

"Very  well  again.  What  you  see  in  the  paper 
is  all  false.  The  two  ladies  whose  pictures 


372     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

you  see  here,  and  here,  are  yonder  at  our  camp. 
You  shall  come  and  see  that  they  are  well  and 
happy,  both  of  them.  Moreover,  if  you  like 
another  fifty  for  the  mass  for  Jean  Lafitte's 
soul,  you,  yourself,  my  friend,  shall  pilot  us 
into  the  channel  of  Monsieur  Edouard.  We'll 
tow  your  boat  behind  us  across  the  bay.  Is  it 
not?" 

"Certain'!  oui!"  answered  the  tender.  "But 
you'll  had  leetle  dish  coffee  quite  plain?"  once 
more  demanded  the  lonesome  keeper;  and  for 
sake  of  his  hospitable  soul  we  now  said  yes; 
and  very  good  coffee  it  was,  too:  and  the  better 
since  I  knew  it  meant  we  now  were  friends. 
Ah !  pirate  blood  is  far  thicker  than  any  water 
you  may  find. 

"But  if  we  take  you  on  as  pilot,  my  friend," 
said  I  to  the  pilot  as  at  length  we  arose,  "how 
shall  we  get  out  our  letters  after  all?" 

"Thass  hall  right,"  replied  he,  "my  cousin, 
Richard  Barriere — she's  cousin  of  Jean  Lafitte 
too,  heem — she'll  was  my  partner  on  the  s'rimp, 
an'  she'll  was  come  hon  the  light,  here,  heem, 
to-mor',  yas,  heem." 

"And  would  you  give  the  letters  to  Mr.  Rich 
ard  Barriere  to-morrow?"  I  inquired  of  the 
lighthouse  keeper. 

"Oui,  oui,  certain',  assurement,  wit'  plaisir,  Mon- 


I  FIND  TWO  FRIENDS  373 

sieur,"  he  replied.  So  I  handed  him  the  little 
packet. 

It  chanced  that  my  eye  caught  sight  of  one 
of  the  two  letters  Mrs.  Daniver  had  handed 
me.  The  address  was  not  in  Mrs.  Daniver's 
handwriting,  but  one  that  I  knew  very  well. 
And  the  letter,  in  this  handwriting  that  I  knew 
very  well,  was  addressed  to  Calvin  Horace 
Davidson,  Esquire,  The  Boston  Club,  New  Or 
leans,  Louisiana :  all  written  out  in  full  in  He 
lena's  own  scrupulous  fashion. 

I  gave  the  letter  over  to  the  messenger,  but 
for  a  time  I  stood  silent,  thinking.  I  knew  now 
very  well  what  that  letter  contained.  But  yes 
terday,  Helena  Emory  had  finally  decided,  there 
on  the  beach,  alone  with  me,  the  salt  air  on 
her  cheek,  the  salt  tears  in  her  eyes.  She  had 
gone  far  as  woman  might  to  tell  me  that  she 
was  grieved  over  a  hasty  word — she  had  given 
me  a  chance,  my  first  chance,  my  only  chance, 
my  last  chance.  And,  I,  pig-headed  fool,  had 
slighted  her  at  the  very  moment  of  moments 
of  all  my  life — I  who  had  prided  myself  on 
my  "psychology" — I  who  had  thought  myself 
wise — I  had  allowed  that  woman  to  go  away 
with  her  head  drooping  when  at  last  she — oh, 
I  saw  it  all  plainly  enough  now !  And  now 
indeed  small  psychology  and  small  wit  were 


374     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

requisite  to  know  the  whole  process  of  a 
woman's  soul,  thus  chilled.  She  had  been  hesi 
tant,  had  been  a  little  resentful  of  this  runaway 
situation,  had  not  liked  my  domineering  ways; 
but  at  last  she  had  relented  and  had  asked  my 
pardon.  Then  I  had  spurned  her.  And  then 
her  mind  swung  to  the  other  man.  She  had 
not  yet  given  that  man  his  answer,  but  when 
I  chilled  her,  rejected  her  timid  little  desire  to 
"make  up"  with  me — why,  then,  her  mind  was 
made  up  for  that  other  man  at  once.  She  had 
written  his  answer.  And  now — oh !  fiendlike 
cruelty  of  woman's  heart — she  had  chosen  me 
as  her  messenger  to  carry  out  that  word  which 
would  cost  me  herself  forever!  She  had  done 
that  exquisitely  well,  as  she  did  everything,  not 
even  advising  me  that  I  was  to  be  her  errand 
boy  on  such  an  errand,  trusting  me  to  find  out 
by  accident,  as  I  had,  that  I  was  to  be  my  own 
executioner,  was  to  spring  my  own  guillotine. 
She  knew  that,  none  the  less,  though  I  under 
stood  what  the  letter  meant  thus  addressed,  I 
sacredly  must  execute  her  silent  trust.  Oh! 
Helena,  yours  was  indeed  an  exquisite  revenge 
for  that  one  hour  of  a  dour  man's  hurt  pride. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI 

IN    WHICH    WE   FOLD   OUR   TENTS 

BY  consent  of  the  lighthouse  keeper,  we  left 
the  Belle  Helene  moored  at  the  wharf  in 
the  channel,  with  Williams  in  charge,  while 
Peterson  and  I,  towing  the  tender's  sailing 
skiff,  its  piratical  lateen  sail  lowered,  started 
back  for  our  encampment  in  our  long  boat. 
It  was  only  a  half  mile  or  so  alongshore  around 
the  head  of  the  island,  although  we  had  to  keep 
out  a  bit  to  avoid  going  aground  on  the  flats 
where  the  Belle  Helene  had  come  to  grief — and 
had,  moreover,  to  wade  ashore  some  fifty  yards 
or  so.  now  that  the  sea  was  calm,  since  the 
keel  of  the  motor-boat  would  not  admit  a 
closer  approach  in  the  shallows. 

We  found  our  party  all  assembled,  John  hav 
ing  but  now  issued  his  luncheon  call;  and,  such 
had  proved  the  swift  spell  of  this  care-free  life, 
none  expressed  much  delight  at  the  announce 
ment  of  my  decision  to  strike  camp  and  move 
toward  civilization.  Helena  only  looked  up 
swiftly,  but  made  no  comment;  and  Mrs.  Dan- 
iver,  to  my  surprise,  openly  rebelled  at  leaving 
these  flesh-pots,  where  canvasback  and  terrapin 

375 


376     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

might  be  had  by  shaking  the  bushes,  and  where 
the  supply  of  ninety-three  seemed,  after  all,  not  ex 
hausted.  Of  course,  my  men  had  nothing  to 
say  about  it,  but  when  it  came  to  my  partners 
and  associates,  Lafitte  and  L'Olonnois,  there  was 
open  mutiny. 

"Why,  now,"  protested  L'Olonnois,  his  lip 
quivering,  "O'  course  we  don't  want  to  go  home. 
Ain't  our  desert  island  all  right?  Where  you 
goin'  to  find  any  better  place  'n  this,  like  to 
know?  Besides'' — and  here  he  drew  me  to  one 
side — "they's  a  good  reason  for  not  goin'  just 
yet,  Black  Bart!" 

"What,   Jimmy?"   I   inquired. 

"Well,  /know  somethinV 

"And  what  is  it?" 

"Well,  Jean  Lafitte  knows  it,  too." 

"What  is  it  then?" 

"Well,  it  ain't  happened  yet,  but  it's  goin' 
to — or  anyhow  maybe." 

"You  interest  me!  Is  it  a  matter  of  import 
ance?" 

"—Say  it  was!" 

"To  whom?" 

"Why,  to  you — an'  besides,  to  my  Auntie 
Helena.  'N'  you  can't  pull  off  things  like  that 
just  anywheres.  Jean  Lafitte  an'  me,  we  frame 
up  how  to  handle  yon  heartless  jade,  the  fair 


WE  FOLD  OUR  TENTS  377 

captive,  'n'  here  you  butt  in  'n'  spoil  the  whole 
works.  It  ain't  right." 

I  bethought  me  now  of  the  conversation  I 
had  unwillingly  overheard — and  my  heart  was 
grateful  to  these  my  friends — but  the  next  in 
stant  I  remembered  the  note  to  Cal  Davidson. 

"I  thank  you,  Jimmy,  my  friend,"  said  I,  "and 
I  believe  I  know  what  you  mean,  but  it  can't 
be  done." 

"What  can't,  an'  why  can't  it?" 

"WThy,  the — the  frame-up  that  you  have  just 
mentioned.  In  short — but,  Jimmy,  go  on  and 
roll  up  the  blankets." 

"But  why  can't  it,  and  what  do  you  know 
about  it?  Tell  me,"  he  demanded  with  sud 
den  inspiration,  "is  yon  varlet  a  suitor,  too,  for 
yon  heartless  jade?" 

"I  decline  to  answer,  Jimmy.  Don't  let's  get 
into  too  deep  water.  Go  on  and  get  your  bun 
dles  ready." 

"You're  a  fine  pirate,  ain't  you,  Black  Bart!" 
he  broke  out.  "Do  you  hold  yerself  fit  to  head 
a  band  o'  bold  an'  desprit  men,  when  you  let 
yerself  be  bluffed  by  yon  varlet,  an'  him  a  thou 
sand  miles  away?  You  try  me,  just  you  gimme 
a  desert  island,  or  even  a  pirut  ship,  a  week, 
like  the  chance  you  got,  an'  beshrew  me,  but 
any  heartless  jade  would  be  mine!" 


378      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"Oh,  maybe  not,  Jimmy." 
«_Or  else  she'd  walk  the  plank." 
"There  isn't  any  plank  to  walk  here,  Jimmy," 
said  I,  pointing  to  our  boat,  which  lay  in  the 
shoals  far  out.     "I  rather  wish  there  were." 

"You'll  have  to  carry  my  Auntie  Helen  out 
on  yore  strong  right  arm,  Black  Bart." 
"I'll  do  nothing  of  the  sort,  Jimmy." 
"Don't  you  like   her   no   more?     An'   if  you 
don't,  what're  we  here  for?" 

I  could  foresee  embarrassments  in  further 
conversation  with  Jimmy  in  his  present  trucu 
lent  mood,  so  sought  out  others  less  mutinous, 
and  gave  orders  for  the  striking  of  the  carnp 
and. the  embarkment  of  all  in  the  small  boats. 
I  left  Peterson  and  Willy  to  take  the  ladies 
and  most  of  the  duffel  in  the  large  boat,  as 
signed  John  the  dingey  for  his  cook  boat,  and 
decided  to  pole  the  light  draft  duck  boat  over 
the  shallows  direct  to  the  yacht,  taking  my  two 
associates  with  me.  It  was  necessary,  of 
course,  to  carry  our  fair  passengers  out  to  the 
long  boat,  which  was  some  distance  out  on  the 
flat  beach.  Peterson  and  I  made  a  cradle  for 
Mrs.  Daniver,  with  our  locked  hands,  and  so 
got  her  substantial  weight  aboard.  Helena 
mutely  waited,  but  seeing  her  so,  and  unwilling 
myself  to  be  so  near  to  her  any  more,  I  mo- 


WE  FOLD  OUR  TENTS  379 

tioned  her  to  step  into  the  flat  duck  boat,  dry 
shod,  and  so  poled  her  out  to  the  long  boat; 
but  I  did  so  in  silence,  nor  did  she  look  up  or 
speak  to  me. 

Our  new  pilot  sat  in  his  own  boat,  and  was 
towed  back,  after  rendering  some  assistance 
with  the  cargoes;  so  now,  at  last,  I  was  ready 
to  leave  a  spot  which,  in  any  other  circum 
stances,  would  have  offered  much  charm  for  a 
man  fond  of  the  out-of-doors.  As  for  my 
young  friends,  they  were  almost  in  tears  as 
they  sat,  looking  back  longingly  at  the  great 
flights  of  all  manner  of  wild  fowl  continuously 
streaming  in  and  out  of  the  lagoon.  At  any 
other  time,  I  would  have  been  unwilling  as 
any  to  depart,  but,  now,  the  whole  taste  and 
flavor  of  life  had  left  me,  and  no  interest  re 
mained  in  any  of  my  old  occupations  or  enjoy 
ments.  All  that  remained  was  the  action  nec 
essary  to  deliver  Helena  and  her  aunt  back  to 
the  usual  scenes  of  their  lives,  to  make  their 
losses  as  light  as  possible,  to  take  my  own 
losses,  and  so  close  the  books  of  my  life. 

"There  they  come!"  said  Jean  Lafitte,  point 
ing  to  a  vast  gaggle  of  clamoring  wild  geese 
coming  in  from  the  bay.  * 'Right  over  our  point, 
Jimmy!  Gee!  I  wisht  I  was  under  them  fellers 
right  now.  Pow!  Pow!" 


380     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"Aw,  shut  up!"  was  Jimmy's  reply.  "We 
won't  never  get  no  chance  like  this  again. 
Why,  looky  here,  we  was  reg'lar  castaways  on 
a  real  desert  island,  an'  we  had  a  abandoned 
ship,  an'  we  c'd  'a'  lived  chiefly  by  huntin*  an' 
fishin';  and  we  had  evaded  all  pursuit  an'  run 
off  with  the  fair  captive  to  a  place  o'  hidin' — 
why,  it's  all  just  like  in  the  book.  An'  what 
do  we  do?  Why,  we  go  home!  Wouldn't  it 
frost  you?  An'  what's  worse,  we  let  the  heart 
less  jade  get  away  with  it,  too!  Ain't  that  so?" 

"Yes,  that's  true,  Jimmy,"  I  replied. 

"Well,  I  was  talkin'  to  Jean  Lafitte — but  it's 
so.  We  started  out  all  right  as  pirates,  but 
now  we  let  a  girl  bluff  us." 

"What  would  you  do,  Jimmy,  in  a  case  like 
that?"  I  inquired. 

"I  would  wring  the  wench's  slender  neck, 
beshrew  me !  She  couldn't  put  over  none  o' 
that  coarse  work  on  me.  No,  curses  on  her 
fair  face!" 

"That  will  do,  Jimmy!"  said  I,  and  pushed 
on  in  silence,  Jean  Lafitte  very  grave,  and  Jim 
my  snuffling,  now,  in  his  grief  at  leaving  the 
enchanted  island.  So,  all  much  about  the  same 
time,  we  reached  the  Belle  Helene  and  went 
aboard.  The  ladies  went  at  once  to  their  cabin, 
and  I  saw  neither  again  that  day,  although  I 


WE  FOLD  OUR  TENTS  381 

sent  down  duck,  terrapin  and  ninety-three  for  their 
dinner  that  night. 

In  half  an  hour  we  were  under  way;  and  in 
an  hour  and  a  half,  having  circumvented  our 
long  desert  island,  we  were  passing  through 
the  cut-off  which  led  us  back  into  Cote  Blanche, 
some  fifty  miles,  I  presume,  from  what  was  to 
be  our  voyage's  end.  We  still  were  in  the  vast 
marsh  country,  an  inaccessible  region  teeming 
with  wild  life.  The  sky  now  was  clear,  the 
air  once  more  warm,  the  breeze  gentle,  and 
all  the  country  roundabout  us  had  a  charm 
quite  its  own.  A  thousand  side  channels  led 
back  into  the  fortresses  of  the  great  sea-marsh, 
to  this  or  that  of  the  many  lakes,  lagoons  and 
pond  holes  where  the  wild  fowl  found  their  feed 
ing  beds.  Here  was  this  refuge,  where  they 
fled  to  escape  persecution,  the  spot  most  re 
mote,  secluded,  secret,  inaccessible.  Here  na 
ture  conspired  to  balk  pursuit.  The  wide  shal 
lows  made  a  bar  now  to  the  average  sailing 
craft,  and  as  for  a  motor-yacht  like  ours,  the 
presence  of  a  local  pilot,  acquainted  with  all 
the  oyster  reefs  and  shallows,  all  the  channels 
and  cut-offs,  made  us  feel  more  easy,  for  we 
knew  we  could  no  longer  sail  merely  by  com 
pass  and  chart.  A  great  sense  of  remoteness 
from  all  the  world  came  over  me.  I  scarce 


382      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

could  realize  that  yonder,  so  lately  left  behind, 
roared  the  mad  tumult  of  the  northern  cities. 
This  wide  expanse  was  broken  by  no  structure 
dedicated  to  commerce,  not  even  the  quiet  spire 
of  some  rural  church  arose  among  the  lesser 
edifices  of  any  village — not  even  the  blue  smoke 
of  some  farmhouse  marked  the  dwelling-place 
of  man.  It  was  the  wilderness,  fit  only  for  the 
nomad,  fit  only  for  the  man  resentful  of  re 
straint  and  custom,  longing  only  for  the  free 
dom  of  adventure  and  romance.  The  cycles  of 
Cathay  lay  here  in  these  gray  silences,  the  leaf 
of  the  lotus  pulsed  on  this  lazy  sea.  Ah!  here, 
here  indeed  were  surcease  and  calm. 

And  all  this  I  was  leaving.  I  was  going 
back  now  to  the  vast  tumult  of  the  roaring 
towns,  to  the  lip  of  mockery,  the  eye  of  insin 
cerity,  the  hand  of  hypocrisy,  where  none  may 
trust  a  neighbor.  And  moreover,  I  was  going 
back  without  one  look,  face  to  face,  into  the 
eyes  and  the  heart  of  the  woman  I  had  loved, 
and  who,  by  force  of  these  extraordinary  cir 
cumstances  had,  for  a  miraculous  moment, 
been  thus  set  down  with  me,  her  lover,  in  the 
very  surroundings  built  of  Providence  for  se 
crecy  and  love!  Yonder,  speeding  to  her  sum 
mons,  no  doubt  hastened,  ready  to  meet  her, 
the  man  whom  she  had  preferred  above  me. 


LWE  FOLD  OUR  TENTS  383 

And  like  a  beast  of  burden,  driven  in  the  serv 
ice  of  these  two,  I  was  plodding  on,  in  the 
work  of  leaving  paradise  and  opportunity,  and 
delivering  safe  into  the  hands  of  another  man 
the  woman  whom  I  loved  far  more  than  all  else 
in  all  the  world. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII 
IN    WHICH    is    PHILOSOPHY;    WHICH,    HOWEVER, 

SHOULD    NOT    BE    SKIPPED 

passed  on  steadily  to  the  northward 
until  mid-afternoon,  making  no  great 
headway  with  one  propeller  missing,  but  leav 
ing  the  main  gulf  steadily,  and  at  length,  rais 
ing,  a  faint  blue  loom  on  the  sky,  the  long  oak- 
crowned  heights  of  those  singular  geological 
formations,  the  heights  known  as  "islands", 
that  bound  the  head  of  this  great  bay.  Here 
the  land,  springing  out  of  the  level  marshes 
and  alluvial  wet  prairies,  thrusts  up  in  long 
reefs,  hundreds  of  feet  above  the  sea  level.  On 
the  eminences  grow  ancient  and  mossy  forest 
trees,  as  well  as  much  half-tropic  brake  in  the 
lower  levels.  Here  are  wide  and  rich  acres 
also,  owned  as  hereditary  fees  by  old  proud 
families,  part  of  whose  wealth  conies  from  their 
plantations,  part  from  their  bay  fisheries,  and 
much  from  the  ancient  salt  mines  which  lie 
under  these  singular  uplifts  above  the  great 
alluvial  plain.  As  of  right,  here  grow  mansion 
homes,  and  here  is  lived  life  as  nearly  feudal 
and  as  wholly  dignified  and  cultured  as  any  in 

384 


PHILOSOPHY  385 

any  land.  Ignorant  of  the  banal  word  "aris 
tocracy,"  here,  uncounting  wealth,  unsearching 
of  self  and  uncritical  of  others,  simple  and  fine, 
folk  live  as  the  best  ambition  of  America 
might  make  one  long  to  live,  so  far  above  the 
vulgar  northern  scramble  for  money  and  dis 
play  as  might  make  angels  weep  for  the  latter 
in  the  comparison. 

Perhaps  it  was  Edouard  Manning,  planter, 
miner,  sportsman,  gentleman,  traveler,  scholar 
and  host,  who  first  taught  me  what  wealth 
might  mean,  may  mean,  ought  to  mean.  Al 
ways,  before  now,  I  had  approached  his  home 
with  joy,  as  that  of  an  old  friend.  There,  I 
knew,  I  would  find  horses,  guns,  dogs,  good 
sport  and  a  simple  welcome;  and  I  could  read 
or  ride  as  I  preferred.  A  king  among  all  the 
cousins  of  Jean  Lafitte,  Monsieur  Edouard. 
Hereabouts  ran  the  old  causeway  by  which  the 
wagon  reached  the  "importations"  of  Jean's 
barges,  brought  inland  from  his  schooners  hid 
in  the  marshes  far  below.  Here,  too,  as  is 
well  known  in  all  the  state,  was  the  burying- 
ground  of  Jean  Lafitte's  treasure-chests:  for, 
though  the  old  adventurer  sold  silks  and  to 
baccos  and  sugars  very  cheap  to  the  planters 
and  traders,  he  secreted,  as  is  well  known, 
great  store  of  plate,  bullion  and  minted  coins, 


386     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

at  divers  points  about  the  several  miles  of  for 
est  covered  heights;  so  that  the  very  atmos 
phere  thereabout — till  custom  stales  it  for  the 
visitor  who  comes  often  there — reeks  with  the 
flavor  of  pieces  of  eight,  Spanish  doubloons, 
and  rare  gems  of  the  Orient.  Laughingly, 
many  a  time  Monsieur  Edouard  had  agreed  to 
go  a-treasure  hunting  with  me,  even  had  showed 
me  several  of  the  curious  old  treasure-keys, 
maps  and  cabalistic  characters  which  tell  the 
place  where  Lafitte  and  his  men  buried  their 
gold — such  maps  as  are  kept  as  secret  heir 
looms  in  many  a  Cajun  family. 

But  now,  as  I  saw  myself  once  more  ap 
proaching  this  pleasant  spot  so  well  known  to 
me,  I  felt  little  of  the  old  thrill  of  eagerness 
come  over  me.  True,  Edouard  would  be  there, 
and  the  dogs,  and  the  birds,  and  the  horses, 
and  the  quiet  welcome.  True,  also,  I  could, 
either  in  truth  or  by  evasion,  establish  a  pleas 
ant  and  conventional  footing  for  all  my  party 
— it  would  be  easy  to  explain  so  natural  and 
pleasant  an  incident  as  a  visit  during  a  yacht 
cruise,  and  to  laugh  at  all  that  silly  newspaper 
sensation  which  by  now  must  fully  have  blown 
over.  True,  Monsieur  Edouard  would  be 
charmed  to  meet  the  woman  whose  influence 
on  my  life  he  knew  so  well.  Yes,  I  could  tell 


PHILOSOPHY  387 

him  everything  easily,  nicely,  except  the  truth; 
which  was,  that  I  was  bringing  to  another 
man's  arms  the  woman  whom  he  knew  I  loved. 
No,  the  blue  loom  of  Manning's  Island  gave  me 
no  joy  now.  I  wished  it  three  thousand  miles 
away  instead  of  thirty.  I  wished  that  almost 
anything  might  prevent  my  arrival — accident, 
delay. 

And  then,  in  the  most  natural  way  in  the 
world,  there  were  both!  Without  much  warn 
ing,  the  pulse  of  our  engine  slackened,  the 
throb  of  our  single  screw  slowed  down  and 
ceased.  Williams  stuck  his  head  up  out  of  his 
engine-room  and  shouted  something  to  Peter 
son,  who  methodically  drew  out  his  pipe  and 
made  ready  for  a  smoke. 

"It's  no  use  going  any  farther,"  explained 
Williams  when  I  came  up.  "That  intake's 
gone  wrong  again,  and  she's  got  sand  all 
through  her.  It's  a  crime  to  see  her  cut  herself 
all  to  pieces  this  way.  We've  just  got  to  stop 
and  clean  her  up,  that's  all,  and  fix  the  job 
right — ought  to  have  done  it  back  there  before 
we  started  in." 

"How  long  will  it  take,  Williams?"  I  asked. 

"Oh,  I  don't  know,  sir.  More  than  this  after 
noon,  sure." 

"That's  too  bad,"  said  I,  with  a  fair  imita- 


388     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

tion  of  regret.  "We  had  expected  to  make 
Manning  Island  by  night." 

"Yes,  it  is  too  bad,  but  it's  better  to  stop 
than  ruin  her,  isn't  it,  sir?" 

"Certainly  it  is,  and  I  quite  approve  your 
judgment.  But  I  presume  we  can  go  a  little 
way  yet,  until  we  find  a  good  berth  somewhere? 
There's  a  deep  channel  comes  in  from  the  left, 
just  ahead,  and  I  think  if  we  move  on  half  a 
mile  or  so,  we  can  get  water  enough  to  float 
even  at  low  tide,  and  at  the  same  time  be  out 
of  sight  of  any  boats  passing  in  the  lower  part 
of  the  bay." 

"Oh,  yes,  sir,  we  can  get  that  far,"  said  the 
engineer.  Peterson  was  full  of  gloom,  and 
though  he  thought  nothing  less  than  that  we 
were  going  to  be  kept  here  a  month,  as  one 
more  event  in  a  trip  already  unlucky  enough, 
he  gave  the  wheel  to  our  Cajun  pilot,  and  we 
crawled  on  around  the  head  of  a  long  point 
that  came  out  into  the  bay.  Here  we  could 
not  see  Manning  Island,  and  were  out  of  sight 
from  most  of  the  bay,  so  that,  once  more,  the 
feeling  of  remoteness,  aloofness,  came  upon  me. 

Not  that  it  did  me  any  present  good.  I 
despatched  L'Olonnois  as  messenger  to  the 
ladies,  telling  them  the  cause  of  our  delay,  and 
explaining  how  difficult  it  was  to  say  just  when 


PHILOSOPHY  389 

we  would  get  in  to  the  island;  and  then  I  be 
took  myself  to  gloomy  pacing  up  and  down 
what  restricted  part  of  the  deck  I  felt  free  for 
my  own  use.  I  wearied  of  it  soon,  and  went 
to  my  cabin,  trying  to  read. 

At  first  I  undertook  one  of  the  modern 
novels  which  had  been  recommended  by  my 
bookseller,  but  I  found  myself  unable  to  get 
on  with  it,  and  standing  before  my  shelves  took 
clown  one  volume  after  another  of  philosophers 
who  once  were  wont  to  comfort  me — men  with 
brains,  thinking  men  who  had  done  something 
in  the  world  beside  buying  yachts  and  country 
houses.  My  eye  caught  a  page  which  earlier 
I  had  turned  down,  and  I  read  again : 

"Trust  thyself;  every  heart  vibrates  to  that 
iron  string.  Accept  the  place  the  Divine  Prov 
idence  has  found  for  you — the  society  of 
friends,  the  connexion  of  events.  Great  men 
have  always  done  so,  and  confided  themselves 
childlike  to  the  genius  of  their  age.  .  .  .  And 
we  now  are  men,  and  must  accept  in  the  high 
est  mind  the  same  transcendent  destiny;  and 
not  pinched  in  a  corner  nor  cowards  fleeing 
before  a  revolution,  but  redeemers,  and  bene 
factors,  pious  aspirants  to  be  noble  clay,  under 
the  Almighty  effort  let  us  advance  on  Chaos 
and  the  Dark." 


390     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

I  read  the  mystic,  involved,  subjective  words 
again,  as  most  of  the  Concord  Sage's  words 
require,  and  reflected  how  well  they  jumped 
with  the  note  of  my  heathen  Epictetus,  who  had 
said,  "Be  natural  and  noble".  And,  so  think 
ing,  I  began  to  wonder  whether,  after  all,  my 
father,  whose  ruthless  ways  I  betimes  had  ex 
plored,  whose  ruthless  sins  I  had  betimes 
atoned,  had  not  been,  perhaps,  a  better  man 
than  sometimes  I  had  credited  him  with  being. 
He,  in  accordance  with  his  lights,  had  accepted 
the  part  given  him  by  the  Poet  of  the  Play. 
He  had  confided  himself  childlike  to  the  genius 
of  his  age,  roaring,  fighting,  scrambling,  get 
ting  and  sometimes  giving.  He  had  trusted 
himself;  and  in  the  end,  a  bold  man,  he  had 
advanced  bravely  on  Chaos  and  the  Dark. 
After  a  life  of  war  and  sometimes  of  rapine, 
done  under  the  genius  of  his  day,  he  had  struck 
boldly  the  last  chord  on  an  iron  string.  Dear 
old  Governor!  I  did  not  regret  the  million  of 
his  money  I  had  spent  to  restore  his  memory 
clean  in  my  own  mind:  for  after  all,  it  had  all 
been  in  open  war — that  time  when  he  unloaded 
a  worthless  mine  on  his  friend,  Dan  Emory — 
Helena's  father,  Daniel  Emory,  who  was,  at 
first,  said  to  have  left  his  family  penniless; 
until  a  shrewd  lawyer  in  some  miraculous  way 


PHILOSOPHY  391 

had  managed  to  sell  at  a  good  price  a  box  full 
of  worthless  mining  stock  to  some  innocent 
victim. 

Helena  Emory  never  knew  of  that  sale,  nor 
did  her  guardian  aunt.  I  did  know  of  it,  for 
the  very  good  reason  that  I  was  both  the 
shrewd  lawyer  and  the  innocent  purchaser.  It 
was  the  last  act  of  my  professional  career; 
and  it  was  this  which  caused  the  general  re 
port  that  I  had  made  a  bad  mining  venture, 
had  lost  my  father's  fortune,  and  retired  from 
my  career  a  ruined  man.  A  few  friends  knew 
otherwise:  and  I  blessed  the  rumor  which  cost 
me  certain  friends  who  thought  me  poor  and 
so  forsook  me.  Perhaps,  my  father  would  have 
called  me  quixotic  had  he  known.  Now,  as 
I  read  and  pondered,  I  neither  blamed  him  for 
his  own  course  in  fair  business  war  with  old 
Dan  Emory,  nor  did  I  censure  myself  for  my 
own  hidden  act  of  restitution.  Let  the  world 
wag  its  head  if  it  liked,  and  remain  ignorant 
of  other  millions  given  to  me  before  my  father's 
death,  unprobated,  secret,  after  the  fashion  of 
my  pirate  parent  who  buried  his  treasures  and 
told  none  but  his  kin  how  they  might  be  found. 

Of  course,  in  time,  it  all  might  come  out. 
In  time,  Helena  would  know  that  this  yacht 
which  she  supposed  to  be  Davidson's  was  my 


392      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

own,  that  the  farm  I  was  supposed  to  have 
rented  really  was  a  handsome  estate  that  I 
owned,  that  many  covert  deeds  in  finance  had 
been  my  own — it  was  only  my  silence  and  my 
absence  in  many  parts  of  the  world  which  had 
prevented  her,  also  much  a  traveler,  from  know 
ing  the  truth  about  me  long  ago.  And  the 
truth  was,  I  was  not  a  poor  man,  but  a  rich 
one. 

Yet  he  who  had  stolen  my  purse  would  in 
deed  have  stolen  trash  this  day.  Rich  in  one 
way,  I  was  poor,  indeed,  in  others.  I  cared 
nothing  for  old  Dan  Emory's  money,  but  very, 
very  much  for  old  Dan  Emory's  daughter;  and 
her  I  might  not  have,  even  after  all  my  efforts. 
.  .  .  No,  the  waters  would  leave  no  trail;  and 
once  more,  after  I  had  restored  old  Dan  Em 
ory's  daughter  to  her  home  and  friends,  I  would 
travel  the  wide  world  again,  and  the  gossipers 
might  guess  what  causes  had  ended  a  profes 
sional  career,  apparently  ended  a  great  fortune, 
and  actually  had  ended  a  life.  .  .  .  For,  I 
thought — using  some  philosophy  of  my  own 
making — it  is  not  wealth,  but  usefulness,  con 
tentment  and  independence  which  a  man  should 
hold  as  his  most  desired  success.  These 
achieved,  little  is  left  to  gain.  Any  one  of 
these  last,  and  nothing  remains  worth  gaining. 


PHILOSOPHY  393 

I  took  up  another  book,  at  another  marked 
page:  "Let  us  learn  to  be  content  with  what 
we  have.  Let  us  get  rid  of  our  false  estimates, 
set  up  all  the  higher  ideals — a  quiet  home, 
vines  of  our  own  planting;  a  few  books  full  of 
the  inspiration  of  genius;  a  few  friends  worthy 
of  being  loved;  a  hundred  innocent  pleasures 
that  bring  no  pain  or  remorse;  a  devotion  to 
the  right  that  will  never  swerve;  a  simple  re 
ligion  empty  of  all  bigotry,  full  of  trust  and 
hope  and  love — and  to  such  a  philosophy,  this 
world  will  give  up  all  the  empty  joy  it  has." 

I  meditated  over  this  also,  applying  these 
tests  to  my  own  life.  .  .  .  Ah !  now  I  saw  why 
my  foot  was  ever  restless,  why  I  sought  always 
new  scenes.  .  .  .  Where  was  my  quiet  home, 
the  vines  of  my  own  planting?  Would  I  flee 
from  that  to  every  corner  of  the  world?  Not 
if  it  held  the  woman  of  my  choice.  Would 
she  thus  roam  restless,  if  she  held  the  heart  of 
her  chosen  and  if  they  had  a  home?  ...  I  be 
gan  to  see  the  Plan  unfold.  Yes,  and  saw  my 
self  outside  the  Plan.  .  .  .  Because  of  a  devo 
tion  to  the  right  that  would  not  swerve.  Be 
cause  of  a  fanaticism,  an  "oddness",  a  noncon 
formity — ah!  so  I  said  bitterly  to  myself,  be 
cause,  after  all,  I  was  unattuned  to  my  age, 
because  I  was  unfit  to  survive  before  a  man's 


394      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

own  judge.  ...  It  is  Portia  judges  this  world. 
The  case  of  every  man  comes  before  a  woman 
for  decision.  I,  who  rarely  had  lost  a  case  at 
law  where  I  could  use  my  own  trained  mind, 
had  lost  my  first  and  only  case  at  the  bar  of 
Love.  .  .  . 

So — and  I  sighed  as  I  shut  the  books  and  re 
turned  them  to  their  shelves — contentment 
never  could  be  mine,  nor  that  quiet  home 
where  only  life  is  lived  that  is  worth  living; 
nor  usefulness ;  nor  independence. 

I  did  not  hear  Jimmy  when  he  came  in,  and 
when  he  spoke  I  jumped,  startled. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII 

IN    WHICH    IS   AN    ARMISTICE    WITH    FATE 

**T>LACK     BART!"     said     Jimmy.       "Say, 
13 


"Well,  good  mate,"  said  I,  and  laid  a  hand 
on  his  curly  fair  head,  "what  shall  I  say?" 

"Say  nothing"  he  remarked,  dropping  his 
voice.  "Listen!" 

"Yes?" 

"We  have  held  a  council." 

"Who   has?" 

"Why,  me  and  Jean  Lafitte  and  the  heart 
less  jade.  I  told  her  you  sent  us  to  her  to  bid 
her  seek  your  presence." 

"Jimmy!  What  on  earth  do  you  mean! 
That's  precisely  the  last  thing  I  would  have 
done  —  I  haven't  done  it.  On  the  contrary  -  " 

"I  told  her,"  he  resumed  calmly,  "that  when 
Black  Bart,  the  pirut,  spoke,  he  spoke  to  be 
obeyed.  She  said,  'I  can't  go/  and  I  said,  'You 
gotta  go/  " 

"You,  yourself,  may  now  go  and  tell  her 
that  there  has  been  a  very  bad  mistake,  Jimmy; 
and  that  she  need  not  come." 

"An'  make  her  cry  worse?  I  ain't  goin'  to 
do  it!" 

395 


396      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"Sir!  This  is  mutiny!— But  did  she  cry, 
Jimmy  ?" 

"Yes.  Awful.  She  said  she  was  homesick. 
She  ain't.  I  don't  know  what  really  is  the  mat 
ter.  I  ast  Jean  Lafitte,  an'  he  said  maybe 
you'd  know.  We  thought  maybe  it  was  some 
thing  about  yon  varlet.  Do  you  know?" 

"No,  I  do  not,  Jimmy."  I  found  myself  en 
gaged  in  one  of  those  detestable  conversations 
where  one  knows  the  talk  ought  to  end,  yet 
dislikes  to  end  it. 

Jimmy  stood  for  some  time,  much  perturbed, 
looking  every  way  but  at  me,  and  at  last  he 
blurted  out. 

"Don't  you  just  jolly  well  awfully  love  the 
fair  captive,  yon  heartless  jade — my  Auntie 
Helen?  Don't  you,  Black  Bart?" 

I  made  no  answer,  but  frowned  very  much 
at  his  presumption. 

" — Because,  everybody  else  does.  She's  nice. 
I  should  think  you  would.  /  do,  I  know  mighty 
well." 

"She  is — she  is — she's  a  very  estimable  young 
woman,  Jimmy,"  said  I,  coloring.  "I  think  I 
may  say  that  without  compromising  myself." 

"Then  why  do  you  hurt  her  feelings  the  way 
you  do — when  she's  plumb  gone  on  you,  the 
way  she  is?" 


AN  ARMISTICE  OF  FATE          397 

I  sprang  toward  him  to  clap  a  hand  over  his 
garrulous  mouth,  but  he  evaded  me,  and  spoke 
from  behind  the  bathroom  door.  "Well,  she 
is!  Don't  I  hear  her  sticking  up  for  you  all 
the  time — didn't  I  hear  her  an'  Auntie  Lucinda 
havin'  a  reg'lar  row  over  it  again,  'I  don't  care 
if  he  hasn't  got  a  cent!'  says  she." 

"But  yon  varlet  is  rich,"   said  I. 

"She  didn't  mean  yon  varlet — she  meant  you, 
I'm  pretty  sure,  Black  Bart.  An'  she's  been 
feedin'  Partial  all  the  afternoon — say,  he's  the 
shape  of  a  sausage." 

"She  is  heartless,  Jimmy!  Little  do  you 
know  the  wrays  of  a  heartless  jade — she  wants 
to  win  away  from  me  the  last  thing  on  earth 
I  have — even  my  dog.  That's  all.  Now,  Jim 
my,  you  must  go." 

But  he  emerged  only  in  part  from  his  shelter. 
"So  Jean  Lafitte  an'  me,  we  looked  it  up  in  the 
book;  an'  it  says  where  the  heartless  jade  is 
brought  before  the  pirut  chief,  'How  now,  fair 
one!'  says  he,  an'  he  bends  on  her  the  piercin' 
gaze  o'  his  iggle  eye :  'how  now,  wrouldst  spurn 
me  suit?'  The  fair  captive  she  bends  her  head 
an'  stands  before  him  unable  to  encounter  his 
piercin'  gaze,  an'  for  some  moments  a  deep 
silence  prevails " 

"Jimmy!"  I  heard  a  clear  voice  calling  along 


398     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

the    deck.      No    answer,    and    Jimmy    raised    a 
hand  to  command  silence  of  me  also. 

"Jimme-e-e-e !"  It  was  Helena's  voice,  and 
nearer  along  the  rail.  "Here's  the  fudges — now 
where  can  the  little  nuisance  have  gone!  Jim!" 

"Here  I  am,  Auntie,"  replied  the  little  nui 
sance,  as  she  now  approached  the  door  of  our 
cabin;  and  he  brushed  past  me  and  started  not 
aft  but  toward  the  bows.  "An'  there  you  are !" 
he  shouted  over  his  shoulder  in  cryptic  speech, 
whether  to  me  or  to  his  Auntie  Helen  I  could 
not  say. 

She  stood  now  in  such  position  near  my  door 
that  neither  of  us  could  avoid  the  other  with 
out  open  rudeness.  I  looked  at  her  gravely 
and  she  at  me,  her  eyes  wide,  her  lips  silent 
for  a  time.  Silently  also,  I  swung  the  cabin 
door  wide  and  stood  back  for  her  to  pass. 

"You  have  sent  for  me?"  she  said  at  last, 
still  standing  as  she  was.  A  faint  smile — part 
in  humor,  part  in  timidity,  part,  it  seemed  sud 
denly  to  rne,  wistful;  and  all  just  a  trifle  pa 
thetic — stirred  her  lips. 

"  'I  sent  my  soul  through  the  Invisible,'  "  said 
I;  and  stepped  within  and  quite  aside  for  her 
to  pass. 

"Jimmy  told  the  biggest  lie  in  all  his  career," 
said  I.  She  would  have  sprung  back. 


AN  ARMISTICE  OF  FATE          399 

" — And  the  greatest  truth  ever  told  in  all 
the  world.  Come  in,  Helena  Emory.  Come 
into  my  quiet  home.  Already,  as  you  know, 
you  have  come  into  my  heart'* 

"I  am  not  used  to  going  into  a  gentleman's 
— quarters,"  said  she:  but  her  foot  was  on  the 
shallow  stair. 

"It  is  common  to  three  gentlemen  of  the 
ship's  company,  Helena  Emory,"  said  I,  "and 
we  have  no  better  place  to  receive  our  friends." 

She  now  was  in  the  room.  I  closed  the  door, 
and  sprung  the  catch. 

"At  last,"  said  I,  "you  are  in  my  power!" 
And  I  bent  upon  her  the  piercing  gaze  of  my; 
eagle  eye. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX 

IN    WHICH    ARE    SEALED    ORDERS 

SHE  stood  before  me  for  just  a  moment  un 
decided.     The  twilight  was  coming  and  the 
room    was    dim. 

"Auntie  will  miss  me,"  said  she,  "after  a 
time." 

"I  have  missed  you  all  the  time,"  was  my 
reply. 

"But  you   sent   for  me?" 

"Of  course  I  did.  Doesn't  this  look  as 
though  I  had?" 

"I   don't  quite  understand " 

"Shall  I  call  Jimmy  to  explain?  He  called 
you  a  heartless  jade " 

"The  little  imp!     How  dare  he!" 

" — As  in  fact  all  of  our  brotherhood  has 
come  to  call  you:  'The  heartless  jade/  ' 

"I  made  fudges  for  him!  And  the  little 
wretch  told  me  I  wasn't  playing  the  game! 
What  did  he  mean?  Oh,  Harry,  I  wouldn't 
have  come  if  I  hadn't  wanted  to  play  the 
game  fairly.  I'm  sorry  for  what  I  said."  She 
spoke  now  suddenly,  impulsively. 

"What  was  it  you  said?" 
400 


SEALED  ORDERS  401 

"When  I  said — when  I  called  you — a  cow 
ard.  I  didn't  mean  it." 

"You   said  it." 

"But  not  the  way  you  thought.  I  only 
meant,  you  took  an  unfair  advantage  of  a  girl, 
running  off  with  her,  this  way,  and  giving  her 
no  chance  to — to  get  away.  But  now  you  do 
give  me  a  chance — you  meant  to,  all  along — 
and  in  every  way,  as  I've  just  done  telling 
auntie,  you've  been  perfectly  fine,  perfectly 
splendid,  perfectly  bully,  too!  It  has  been  a 
hard  place  for  a  man,  too,  but — Harry,  dear 
boy,  I'll  have  to  say  it,  you've  been  some  con 
siderable  gentleman  through  it  all!  There 
now!"  And  she  stood,  aloof,  agitated,  very 
likely  flushed,  though  I  could  not  tell  in  the 
dark. 

"Thank  you,  Helena,"  I  said. 

"And  as  to  your  being  any  other  sort  of  a 
coward — that  you  had  physical  fear — that  you 
wouldn't  do  a  man's  part — why,  I  never  did 
mean  that  at  all.  How  could  I?  And  if  I 
had — why,  even  Auntie  Lucinda  said  your  go 
ing  out  after  that  Chinaman  the  other  night 
was  heroic — even  if  he  couldn't  have  cooked 
a  bit ! — and  you  know  Auntie  Lucinda  has  al 
ways  been  against  you." 

"Yes,  and  you  both  called  me  a  coward,  be- 


402      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

cause  I  quit  my  law  office  and  ran  away  from 
misfortune." 

''Yes,  we  did.  And  I  meant  that,  too!  I 
say  it  now  to  your  face,  Harry.  But  maybe  I 
don't  know  all  about  that " 

"Maybe  not." 

"Well,  I  wouldn't  want  to  be  unjust,  of 
course,  but  I  don't  think  a  man  ought  to  throw 
away  his  life.  You're  young.  You  could  start 
over  again,  and  you  ought  to  have  tried.  Your 
father  made  his  own  money,  and  so  did  my 
father — why,  look  at  the  Sally  M.  mine,  that 
has  given  me  my  own  fortune.  Do  you  sup 
pose  that  grew  on  a  bush  to  be  shaken  off? 
So  why  couldn't  you  go  out  in  the  same  way 
and  do  something  in  the  world — I  don't  mean 
just  make  money,  you  know,  but  do  something? 
That's  what  a  girl  likes.  And  you  were  able 
enough.  You  are  young  and  strong,  and  you 
have  your  education;  and  I've  heard  my  father 
say,  before  he  died — and  other  men  agreed 
with  him — that  you  were  the  best  lawyer  at 
our  bar,  and  that  you  had  an  extraordinary 
mind,  and  a  clear  sense  of  justice,  and,  and " 

"Go  on.     Did  he  say  that?" 

"Yes." 

"But  with  all  my  fine  qualities  of  mind  and 
heart,"  said  I,  "I  lost  all  when  I  lost  my 
money!" 


SEALED  ORDERS  403 

"What   do  you   mean?" 

"I'll  tell  you  what  I  mean — you  dropped 
me  because  you  thought  me  poor.  .Well,  I 
don't  blame  you.  It  takes  money  to  live,  and 
you  deserved  all  that  the  world  can  give.  I 
don't  blame  you.  There  were  other  men  in  the 
world  for  you.  The  trouble  with  me  was  that 
there  was  no  other  woman  in  the  world  for 
me.  All  our  trouble — all  our  many  meetings 
and  partings — have  come  out  of  those  two 
facts." 

"Did  you  think  that  of  me?"  she  asked  at 
length,  slowly.  I  suppose  she  was  pale,  but  I 
could  not  see. 

"I  certainly  did.  How  could  I  think  any 
thing  else?" 

"Harry!"  she  half  whispered.  "Why,  Harry, 
Harry!" 

"Admit  that  you  did!"  I  exclaimed  bitterly, 
"and  let  me  start  from  that  as  a  premise.  Lis 
ten!  If  you  were  a  man,  and  loved  a  woman, 
and  she  chucked  you  when  you  lost  your 
money,  do  you  think  you'd  break  your  neck 
to  make  any  more  success  in  the  world  after 
that?  Why  should  you?  Why  does  a  man 
work?  It's  for  a  home,  for  the  sake  of  power, 
and  mostly  for  the  sake  of  the  game." 

"Yes." 

"And  I  could  play  that  game — I  can  play  it 


404     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

now,  and  win  at  it,  any  time  I  like.  I  quit  it 
not  because  I  was  afraid  of  the  game — it's  the 
easiest  thing  in  the  world  to  make  money,  if 
that's  all  you  really  want  to  do.  That's  all 
your  father  wanted,  or  mine,  and  it  was  easy. 
I  can  play  that  game.  But  why?  Ah!  if  it 
were  to  win  a  quiet  home,  the  woman  I  loved, 
independence,  usefulness,  contentment, — yes ! 
But  when  all  those  stakes  were  out  of  the 
game,  Helena,  I  didn't  care  to  play  it  any  more. 
And  that  was  why  you  thought  I  ran  away. 
I  did  run  away — from  myself,  and  you." 

She  was  silent  now,  and  perhaps  paler — I 
could  not  see. 

" — But  wherever  I  have  gone,  Helena,  all 
over  the  world,  I've  found  those  two  people 
there  ahead  of  me,  and  I  couldn't  escape  them 
— myself,  and  you!" 

"Did  you  think  that  of  me,  Harry?"  She 
half  whispered  once  more. 

"Yes,  I  did.    And  did  you  think  that  of  me?" 
"Yes,  I  did.     But  I  did  not  understand." 
"No.     Like   many  a  woman,  you   got   cause 
and  effect  mixed  up :  and  you  never  troubled 
yourself  to   get  it   straight.     Let  me   tell  you, 
unless  two  people  can  come  to  each  other  with 
out  compromises  and  without  explanations  and 
without  reservations,   they  would  better  never 


SEALED  ORDERS  405 

come  at  all.  I  don't  want  you  cheap,  you 
oughtn't  to  want  me  cheap.  So  how  can  it 
end  any  way  other  than  the  way  it  has?  If 
it  was  my  loss  of  fortune  that  made  you  chuck 
me,  I  oughtn't  ever  to  give  you  a  second 
thought,  for  you  wouldn't  be  worth  it.  The 
fact  you  did,  and  that  I  do,  hasn't  anything  to 
do  with  it  at  all." 

"No/' 

"And  if  you  don't  think  me  able  and  dis 
posed  to  play  a  man's  part  in  the  world,  you 
oughtn't  to  care  a  copper  for  me,  that  is  plain, 
isn't  it?" 

"Yes,    quite   plain." 

"And  the  fact  that  you  did,  and  that  you  do, 
has  nothing  to  do  with  it — nothing  in  the 
world,  has  it,  Helena?" 

"No."  She  must  have  been  very  pale,  though 
I  could  not  tell. 

"Therefore,  as  logic  shows  us,  my  dear,  and 
because  we  never  did  get  our  premises  straight, 
and  so  never  will  get  our  conclusions  straight, 
either — we  don't  belong  together  and  never 
can  come  together,  can  we?" 

"No."     I  could  barely  hear  her  whisper. 

"No.  And  that  is  why,  just  before  you  came, 
I  was  trying  to  pull  myself  together  and  to 
advance  as  best  an  unhappy  devil  may,  upon 


406     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

Chaos  and  the  Dark!  And  that's  all  I  see 
ahead,  Helena,  without  you — Chaos  and  the 
Dark." 

"It  was  all  you  saw  that  night,  in  the  little 
boat,"  she  said  after  a  time.  "Yet  you  went?" 

"Oh,  yes,  but  that  was  different." 

"Is  this  all,  Harry?"  she  said,  and  moved 
toward  the  door. 

"Yes,  my  dear;  it  is  all — but  all  the  rest." 

Her  color  must  have  risen,  for  I  saw  dimly 
that  she  raised  both  her  hands  to  her  bosom, 
her  throat.  Thus  the  heartless  jade  stood,  her 
head  drooped,  unable  to  meet  the  piercing 
gaze  of  my  eagle  eye. 

There  came  a  faint  scratching  at  the  door,  a 
little  whimpering  whine. 

"It  is  Partial,  my  dog,  come  after  you,"  said 
I  bitterly.  "He  knows  you  are  here.  He  never 
has  done  that  way  for  me.  He  loves  you." 

"He  knows  you  are  here,  and  he  loves  you," 
said  she.  "That  is  why  things  come  and  scratch 
at  doors  where  ruffians  live." 

I  flung  open  the  door.  "Partial,"  said  I, 
"come  in;  and  choose  between  us." 

As  to  the  first  part  of  my  speech,  the  invi 
tation  to  enter,  Partial  obeyed  with  a  rush; 
as  to  the  second,  the  admonition,  he  apparently 
could  not  obey  at  all.  In  his  poor  dumb  brute 


SEALED  ORDERS  407 

affliction,  lack  of  human  speech,  he  stood,  after 
saluting  us  both,  alternately  and  equally,  hes 
itant  between  us,  wagging,  whining  and  gazing, 
knowing  full  well  somewhat  was  wrong  be 
tween  us,  grieving  over  us,  beseeching  us — 
but  certainly  not  choosing  between  us. 

"Give  him  time,"  said  I  hoarsely.  "He 
loves  you  more,  and  is  merely  polite  to  me." 

"Give  him  time,"  said  she  bitterly.  "He 
loves  you  more,  and  you  don't  deserve  it." 

But   Partial   would  not   choose. 

"He  wants  us  both,  Helena!"  said  I  at  last. 
"He  has  wiped  out  logic,  premises,  conclu 
sions,  cause  and  effect,  horse,  cart  and  all! 
He  wants  us  both!  He  wants  a  quiet  home 
and  independence,  Helena,  and  usefulness,  and 
contentment.  Ah,  my  God!" 

She  reached  down  and  put  a  hand  on  his 
head,  but  he  only  looked  from  one  to  the  other  of 
us,  unhappy. 

"Don't  you  love  me,  Helena?"  I  asked 
quietly,  after  a  time.  "For  the  sake  of  my 
dog,  can  you  not  love  me?" 

She  continued  stroking  the  head  of  the 
agonized  Partial.  .  .  .  And  until,  somewhat  in 
articulately,  I  had  choked  or  spoken,  and  had 
caught  her  dark  hair  against  my  cheek  and 
kissed  her  hair  and  stammered  in  her  ear,  and 


408     THE  LADY  rAND  THE  PIRATE 

turned  her  face  and  kissed  her  eyes  and  her 
cheek  and  her  lips  many,  many  times,  Partial 
held  his  peace  and  issued  no  decision.  .  .  . 
[At  least,  I  did  not  hear  him.  .  .  . 

She  was  sobbing  now,  her  head  on  my  shoul- 
cler,  as  we  sat  on  the  locker  seat,  and  Partial's 
head  was  on  the  cushion  beside  us,  and  he  was 
silent  and  overjoyed,  and  tranquilly  happy — 
seeing  perhaps,  that  a  quiet  home  would  in  the 
event  be  his,  and  that  he  was  going  to  live 
happy  ever  after.  And  after  I  drew  Helena's 
head  closer  to  my  face,  I  kissed  her  hair. 

"Do  you  love  me,  Helena?''  I  asked.  "Only 
the  truth  now,  in  God's  name !" 

"You  know  I  do,"  she  said,  and  I  felt  her 
arms  about  my  neck. 

"Have  you,   always?" 

"I  think  so,  yes.     It  seems  always." 

"We  have  been  cruel  to  each  other." 

"Yes,   are   cruel  now." 

"How  now?" 

"You  make  me  say  I  love  you,  and  yet " 

"You  will  marry  me — right  away,  soon,  He 
lena — as  I  am,  poor,  ragged,  without  a  cent, 
only  myself?" 

"Not  here,"  she  smiled. 

"At  Edouard  Manning's,  at  once,  as  soon  as 
we  get  in?" 


SEALED  ORDERS  409 

"It  is  duress !  I  am  in  the  power  of  a  ruf 
fian  band!  Is  it  fair?  Are  you  sure  I  know 
my  mind?" 

"I  am  sure  only  that  I  know  my  own!  Tell 
me,  what  was  in  that  note  I  carried,  addressed 
to  yon  varlet  Davidson?" 

"Sealed  orders!" 

"And  how  does  that  affect  me,  Helena.  Tell 
me — I  know  you  love  me,  and  you  know  that 
all  the  rest  is  small,  to  that;  but  as  to  that 
wedding  part  of  it,  Helena — what  do  you  say?" 

She  hesitated  for  an  instant.  "You  want  me 
to — come — to  come  with  honor,  as  you  do?" 

"Yes.  I'll  take  any  risk  that  means  with 
you." 

"Will  you  take   sealed  orders,   too?" 

"Yes." 

"Turn  on  the  lights." 

I  reached  the  switch,  and  an  instant  later  a 
dozen  high  candle-power  bulbs  flooded  the  suite 
with  light.  With  a  little  cry  of  dismay  Helena 
sprang  away,  and  stood  at  my  shaving-glass, 
arranging  her  hair.  Now  and  then  she  turned 
her  face  just  enough  to  smile  at  me  a  little,  her 
eyes  dark,  languid,  heavy  lidded,  a  faint  shadow 
of  blue  beneath.  And  now  and  then  her  breast 
heaved,  as  though  it  were  a  sea  late  troubled 
by  a  storm  gone  by. 


410     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"What    will    auntie    say?"    she    sighed    at    last. 

"What  will  you  say?"  I  replied. 

"Oh,  brute,  you  shall  not  know!  I  must 
have  some  manner  of  revenge  against  a  ruffian 
who  has  taken  advantage  of  me  while  I  was  in 
his  power!" 

"Ah,  heartless  jade!" 

" — So  you  shall  wait  until  we  are  ashore.  I 
will  give  you  sealed  orders " 

"When?" 

"Now.  And  you  shall  open  them  at  your 
friend's  house — as  soon  as  we  are  all  settled  and 
straightened  after  leaving  the  boat — as  soon 
as " 

"It  looks  as  though  it  were  as  soon  as  you 
please,  not  when  I  please." 

"Harry,  it  is  my  revenge  for  the  indignities 
you  have  heaped  on  me.  Do  you  think  a  girl 
will  submit  to  that  meekly — to  be  browbeaten, 
abused,  endangered  as  I  have  been!  No,  sir — 
sealed  orders  or  none.  I  have  only  owned  I 
loved  you.  So  many  girls  have  been  mistaken 
about  things  when — when  the  moon,  or  a 
desert  island  or — or  something  has  bewitched 
them.  But  I  haven't  said  I  would  marry  you, 
have  I,  ever?" 

"No.  I  don't  care  about  that  so  much  as  the 
other;  but  I  care  a  very,  very  great  deal  about  it, 


SEALED  ORDERS 


too.  You,  too,  are  cruel.  You  are  a  heartless 
jade." 

"And  you  have  been  a  cruel  and  ruthless 
pirate." 

"Tell  me  now!" 

"No."  And  she  evaded  me,  and  gained  the 
door.  "I  must  go.  Oh,  it's  all  a  ruin  now  — 
Auntie'll  be  furious.  And  what  shall  I  say?" 

"Give  her  sealed  orders,  and  my  love  !  And 
when  do  I  get  mine?" 

"In   five   minutes." 

She  was  gone.  .  .  .  And  after  some  mo 
ments,  rapt  as  I  was  at  her  late  presence,  which 
still  seemed  to  fill  the  room  like  the  fragrance, 
like  the  fragrance  of  her  hair  which  still  lin 
gered  in  my  senses,  I  looked  about,  sighing 
for  that  she  was  gone.  Then  I  noted  that  our 
friend  Partial  had  gone  with  her.  "Fie!  Par 
tial,  after  all,  you  loved  her  more!"  I  said  to 
myself. 

But  in  a  few  moments  I  heard  a  faint  sound 
at  my  door.  I  opened.  There  stood  Partial  in 
the  dusk,  gravely  wagging  his  tail,  looking  at 
me  without  moving  his  head.  And  I  saw  that 
he  held  daintily  in  his  mouth  a  dainty  note, 
addressed  to  me  in  the  same  handwriting  as 
that  on  the  note  I  had  sent  out  from  the  heart 
less  jade  to  yon  varlet.  And  it  was  sealed,  and 


412     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

marked  with  instructions  for  its  opening.  .  .  . 
"When  You  Two  Varlets  Meet."  No  more. 

"Peterson,"  said  I,  advancing  to  the  forward 
deck,  where  I  found  him  smoking,  "I've  been 
getting  up  some  correspondence,  since  we'll 
be  ashore  by  to-morrow  noon " 

" — I  don't  know  as  to  that,  Mr.  Harry." 

"Well,  I  know  about  it.  So,  tell  Williams 
that,  even  if  he  has  to  work  all  night,  we  must 
be  moving  as  soon  as  it's  light  enough  to  see. 
I've  got  a  very  important  message " 

"By  wireless,  Mr.  Harry?"  chuckled  the  old 
man. 

"Yes,  by  wireless,"  (and  I  looked  at  Par 
tial,  who  wagged  his  tail  and  smiled).  "So  I 
must  get  into  Manning  Island  the  first  possible 
moment  to-morrow.  And  Peterson,  as  we've 
had  so  good  a  run  this  trip,  with  no  accident 
or  misfortune  of  any  kind,  I  don't  know  but 
I  may  make  it  a  month  or  two  extra  pay — 
double — for  you  and  Williams,  and  even  John. 
And  as  to  Willy,  please  don't  fire  him,  Peter 
son,  for  his  deserting  the  ship's  cook  the  other 
night.  In  fact,  I'm  very  glad,  on  the  whole, 
he  did.  Give  him  double  pay  for  doing  it, 
Peterson!" 

"Ain't  this  the  wonderful  age!"  remarked 
Peterson  to  a  star  which  was  rising  over  the 
misty  marsh.  "Especial,  now,  that  wireless!" 


SEALED  ORDERS  413 

I  only  patted  Partial  on  the  head,  and  we 
smiled  pleasantly  and  understandingly  at  each 
other.  Of  course,  Peterson  could  not  know  what 
we  knew. 


CHAPTER  XL 

IN    WHICH    LAND    SHOWS   IN    THE    OFFING 

BEFORE    the    white    sea    mists    had    rolled 
away  I  was  on  deck,   and  had  summoned 
a  general   conference   of  my  crew. 

"Tolyte,"  I  demanded  of  our  pilot,  "how 
long  before  your  partner  will  be  at  the  light 
house,  below,  there?" 

"'Ow  long?" 

"Yes." 

"Oh,  maybe  thees  day  sometam." 

"And  how  long  before  he'll  start  back  with 
the  mail?" 

"'Ow  long?" 

"Yes." 

"Oh,  maybe  thees   same   day  sometam." 

"And  how  long  will  it  take  him  to  get  back 
to  some  post-office  with  those  letters?" 

"'Ow  long?" 

"Yes." 

"Oh,   maybe   those   nex'   day   sometam." 

"And  then  how  long  to  the  big  railroad  to 
New  Orleans?" 

"'Ow  long?" 

"Yes." 

414 


LAND  SHOWS  IN  THE  OFFING      415 

"Oh,  maybe  those  nex'  day  too  h'also  some- 
tarn,  heem." 

"Then  it  will  be  three  days,  four  days,  be 
fore  a  letter  could  get  from  the  lighthouse  to 
New  Orleans?" 

"'Ow  long?" 

"Three  or  four  days?" 

"Oui,  maybe  so." 

"And  how  long  will  it  take  us  to  get  in  to 
the  plantation  of  Monsieur  Edouard,  above, 
there?" 

"'Ow  long?" 

"Yes." 

"HT'll  could  not  said,  Monsieur.  Maybe 
three  four  day —  'sais  pas." 

"Holy  Mackinaw!"  I  remarked,  sotto  voce. 

"Pardon  ?"  remarked  Tolyte  respectfully. 
"Le  Machinaw — que-est-qiie-ce-que-est,  ca?" 

"It  is  my  patron  saint,  'Polyte,"  I  explained, 
and  he  crossed  himself  for  his  mistake. 

"Suppose  those  h'engine  he'll  h'ron,  we'll  get 
in  four  five  h'our  h'all  right,  on  Monsieur  Ed 
ouard,  yass,"  he  added.  "H'I'll  know  those 
channel  lak  some  books." 

By  now  Williams — who,  judging  by  certain 
rappings,  hammerings  and  clankings  heard 
through  the  cabin  walls  back  and  above  the 
engine-rooms,  had  been  at  work  much  of  the 


416     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

night — had  reported,  and  much  to  my  pleasure 
had  said  he  thought  we  could  make  it  in  at 
least  to  the  Manning  dock  before  further  re 
pairs  would  be  needed.  To  prove  which,  he 
went  down  and  "turned  her  over  a  time  or 
two,"  as  he  expressed  it.  Whereupon  I  gave 
orders  to  break  out  the  anchor,  and  knowing 
that  any  Cajun  market  hunter  and  shrimp 
fisher  like  Tolyte  can  travel  in  any  mist  or  fog 
before  sunup  by  some  instinct  of  his  own,  I 
took  a  chance  and  began  to  feel  our  way  out 
to  the  mouth  of  the  Manning  channel  before 
the  morning  mists  were  gone ;  so  that  we  were 
at  breakfast  by  the  time  the  wide  and  gently 
rippling  bay  broke  clear  below  us,  and  by 
magic,  we  saw  the  oak-crowned  heights  of  the 
island  dead  ahead. 

Thence  on,  within  the  walls  of  the  deep 
dredged  channel,  all  we  had  to  do  was  to  go 
sufficiently  slow  and  follow  the  curves  care 
fully,  so  that  the  heavy  waves  of  our  boat, 
larger  than  any  intended  for  that  channel, 
might  not  too  much  endanger  the  mud  walls, 
or  threaten  wreckage  to  the  frail  stagings  lead 
ing  to  the  cabins  of  the  half-aquatic  trappers 
and  fishers  who  dwell  here  in  the  marshes. 

So,  at  last,  after  many  windings  and  doub 
lings,  we  came  in  at  the  rear  of  the  timbered 


LAND  SHOWS  IN  THE  OFFING      417 

slopes,  and  could  see  the  mansion  houses  and 
the  offices  of  the  stately  old  plantation,  where 
dwelt  my  friend,  Edouard  Manning,  who  knew 
nothing  of  my  coming. 

After  custom,  I  signaled  loud  and  often  with 
the  boat's  whistle,  so  that  the  men  might  come 
to  the  landing  for  us;  and,  in  order  that  Ed 
ouard  himself  might  be  warned,  I  gave  orders 
to  my  hardy  mates  to  make  proper  nautical 
salute  of  honor. 

"Cast  loose  the  stern-chaser,  Jean  Lafitte," 
said  I:  "and  do  you  and  L'Olonnois  load  and 
fire  her  often  as  you  like  until  we  land;  or 
until  you  burst  her." 

Gleefully  they  obeyed,  and  soon  the  roar  of 
our  deck  gun  echoed  formidably  along  the 
slopes,  as  had  no  gun  since  the  salt-seeking 
Union  navy,  in  the  Civil  War,  had  pounded  at 
the  gates  of  Edouard's  father:  and  until  scores 
of  coots  and  rail  chattered  in  excited  chorus 
for  answer,  and  long  clouds  of  wild  ducks 
arose  and  circled  over  the  marsh.  Again  and 
again,  my  bold  mates  loaded  and  fired:  and 
now,  turning  back  by  chance  from  my  own 
place  at  the  wheel,  I  saw  that  they  had  as 
sumed  full  character,  and  each  with  a  red  ker 
chief  bound  about  his  brow,  was  armed  with, 
I  dare  not  say  how  many,  pistols,  dirks,  swords 


418     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

and  cutlasses  thrust  through  his  belt  or  other 
wise  suspended  on  his  person. 

I  saw  now  the  two  ladies,  their  fingers  in 
their  ears,  also  on  deck,  protesting  at  this 
cannonading  at  their  cabin  door;  and  so  I 
raised  my  hat  to  a  very  radiant  and  radiantly 
appareled  Helena,  for  the  first  time  that  day ; 
and  heard  the  answer  of  L'Olonnois  to  the 
dour  protest  of  Auntie  Lucinda. 

"We  follow  Black  Bart  the  Avenger,  an'  let 
any  seek  to  stop  us  at  their  per-rul!  Jean,  run 
up  the  flag,  while  I  load  her  up  again." 

And  Jean  having  once  more  hoisted  the  skull 
and  cross-bones  at  our  masthead,  and  assumed 
a  specially  savage  scowl  as  he  stood  with  fold 
ed  arms  on  our  bow  deck,  we  made  what  a 
mild  imagination  might  have  called  rather  an 
impressive  entry  as  we  swept  into  the  Manning 
landing. 

I  was  not  surprised  to  see  Edouard  himself 
there,  and  his  wife,  and  some  thirty  odd  dogs 
and  as  many  blacks,  waiting  for  us  at  the 
wharf.  Nor  was  I  surprised  to  see  that  all 
seemed  somewhat  to  marvel  at  our  manner  of 
advent,  though  I  knew  that  Edouard,  through 
his  field-glasses,  had  recognized  both  my  boat 
and  myself  long  before  we  made  the  last  curve 
and  came  gently  in  to  the  wharf  where  the 
grinning  darkies  could  catch  our  line. 


LAND  SHOWS  IN  THE  OFFING      419 

.What  did  surprise  me — and  perhaps  for  a 
time  I  may  have  shown  surprise — was  to  see, 
in  all  this  gay  throng,  two  forms  not  usual  on 
the  Manning  landing.  One  was  the  elegantly 
garbed  and  rather  stunning  figure  of  Sally 
Byington;  and  the  other  the  robust,  full-bodied, 
gorgeously  arrayed  form  of  my  old  friend,  Cal 
Davidson!  How  or  why  they  came  there  I 
could  not  for  the  moment  guess. 

"'Tis  he — yon  varlet !"  I  heard  a  stern  voice 
hiss  at  my  ear.  "Beshrew  me,  but  it  shall  go 
hard  with  him!  I'm  loading  her  up  with  mar 
bles  now!"  But  I  had  no  more  than  time  to 
persuade  my  two  lieutenants  to  modify  this 
purpose,  and  partially  to  disarm  themselves, 
before  the  two  groups  were  mingling,  with 
much  chattering  and  laughing  and  gay  salut 
ing. 

Edouard,  hat  in  hand,  was  on  deck  before 
our  fenders  touched  the  wharf,  laughing  and 
grasping  my  hands  and  looking  up  at  my  flag. 

"I  knew  you  were  coming,"  said  he.  "Fact 
is,  all  the  country's  been  looking  for  you. 
Davidson  just  got  in  a  couple  of  hours  ago — 
and  you  know  his  lady  is  an  old  friend  of  Mrs. 
Manning's.  And " 

He  was  shaking  the  hands  of  Mrs.  Daniver 
and  Helena  almost  before  I  could  present  them. 
Auntie  Lucinda  bestowed  upon  him  the  gaze 


420      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

of  a  solemn  and  somewhat  tear-stained  visage 
(though  I  saw  distinct  approval  on  her  face  as 
she  caught  sight  of  the  great  mansion  house 
among  the  giant  oaks,  and  witnessed  the  so- 
phisticatedness  of  the  group  on  the  landing, 
and  the  easy  courtesy  of  Edouard  himself). 

"By  Jove!  old  man!"  the  latter  found  time 
to  say  to  me,  "I  congratulate  you — she's  away 
beyond  her  pictures."  He  did  not  mean  Mrs. 
Daniver;  and  he  never  had  seen  Helena  before. 
I  could  only  press  his  hand  and  attempt  no 
comment  as  to  the  congratulations,  for  part  of 
that  was  a  matter  which  yet  rested  in  a  sealed 
envelope  in  my  pocket;  and  at  best  it  must  be 
three  or  four  days.  .  .  .  But  then,  with  a  great 
flash  of  arrested  intelligence,  it  was  borne  in 
upon  me  that  perhaps,  after  all,  it  was  not  so 
much  a  question  of  the  tardy  United  States  mails ! 
Because  yon  varlet,  fat  and  saucy,  and  well  con 
tent  with  life,  already,  by  some  means  and  for 
some  reason,  had  outrun  the  mails.  He  was 
here,  and  we  had  met.  It  need  not  be  four 
days  before  I  could  learn  my  fate.  ...  I 
reached  into  my  pocket  and  looked  at  my 
sealed  orders.  No  matter  what  Davidson's  let 
ter  held,  here  was  Davidson  himself. 

"Oh,  I  say,  there,  you  Harry,  confound 
you!"  roared  Davidson  to  me  in  his  great 


LAND  SHOWS  IN  THE  OFFING      421 

voice  above  the  heads  of  everybody.  "I  say, 
what  did  I  tell  you?" 

Now  I  had  not  the  slightest  idea  what  David 
son  had  told  me,  nor  what  he  meant  by  wav 
ing  a  paper  over  his  head.  "They've  signed 
Dingleheimer  for  next  year!  Now  what  do 
you  think  of  that?  World's  championship,  and 
good  old  Dingleheimer  for  next  year — I  guess 
that's  pretty  poor  for  them  little  old  Giants, 
what?"  And  he  smiled  like  one  devoid  of  all 
care  as  well  as  of  all  reason. 

I  myself  smiled  just  a  moment  later — after  I 
had  greeted  the  Manning  ladies,  had  seen 
Helena  step  up  and  kiss  Sally  Byington  fer 
vently,  directly  on  the  cheek,  whose  too  keen 
coloring  I  once  had  heard  her  decry;  had 
slapped  Edouard  joyously  on  the  shoulders  and 
pointed  to  my  pirate  flag  and  gloomy  black- 
visaged  crew — I  say  I  also  smiled  suddenly 
when  I  felt  a  hand  touch  me  on  the  shoulder. 

Tolyte,  the  pilot,  stood,  cap  in  hand,  and 
asked  me  to  one  side. 

"Pardon,  Monsieur,"  said  he,  "but  those  gentil- 
hommes — those  fat  one — ees  eet  she'll  was  Mon 
sieur  Davelson  who'll  HT11  got  letter  on  heem 
from  those  lighthouse,  heem?" 

"Why,  yes,  Tolyte — the  letter  you  said  would 
take  four  days  to  get  to  New  Orleans." 


422     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

'Polyte  smiled  sheepishly.  "He'll  wouldn't 
took  four  days  now,  Monsieur!  HT11  got  it 
h'all  those  letter  here.  HT'll  change  the  coat 
on  the  lighthouse,  maybe,  h'an  HT'll  got  the  coat 
of  Guillaume  witt'  h'all  those  letter  in  her, 
yass?"  And  he  now  handed  me  the  entire 
packet  of  letters,  which  I  had  supposed  left  far 
behind  us  on  the  previous  day! 

I  took  the  letters  from  him,  and  handed  all 
of  them  but  one  to  Edouard's  old  body  ser 
vant  to  put  in  the  office  mail.  The  remaining 
one  I  held  in  the  same  hand  with  its  mate: 
and  I  motioned  Davidson  aside  to  a  spot  under 
a  live  oak  as  the  other  began  now  slowly  to 
move  toward  the  path  from  the  landing  up 
the  hill. 

"This  is  for  you,"  said  I,  handing  him  his 
letter;  and  told  him  how  it  came  to  him  thus. 

"It's  from  Helena — dear  old  girl,  isn't  she 
a  trump,  after  all!"  he  said,  tearing  open  the 
letter  and  glancing  at  it. 

"She  is  a  dear  girl,  Mr.  Davidson,"  said  I, 
stiffly,  "yes." 

"Why,  of  course — yes,  of  course  I'd  have 
done  it,  if  I'd  got  this  before  I  left  the  city," 
said  he,  "but  how  can  I  now?" — holding  the 
letter  open  in  his  hand. 

"Do   you   mean   to    tell   me,"    I    began,    but 


LAND  SHOWS  IN  THE  OFFING      423 

choked  in  anger  mixed  with  uncertainty.  What 
was  it  she  had  asked  of  him,  offered  to  him? 
And  was  not  Helena's  wish  a  command. 

"Yes,  I  mean  to  tell  you  or  any  one  else,  I'd 
do  a  favor  to  a  lady  if  I  could;  but " 

"What  favor,  Mr.  Davidson?"  I  demanded 
icily. 

"Well,  why  'Mr.  Davidson'?  Ain't  I  your 
pal,  in  spite  of  all  the  muss  you  made  of  my 
plans?  Why,  I'm  damned  if  I'll  pay  you  the 
charter  money  at  all,  after  the  way  you've 
acted,  and  all " 

"Mr.    Davidson,    damn   the   charter   money!" 

"That's  what  I  say!  What's  charter  money 
among  friends?  All  right,  if  you  can  forgive 
half  the  charter  fee,  I'll  forgive  the  other  half, 
and " 

"What  was  in  the  letter  from  her?" 

"It's  none  of  your  business,  Harry — but  still, 
I  don't  mind  saying  that  Miss  Emory  wrote 
me  and  said  that  if  I  was  still — oh !  I  say !"  he 
roared,  turning  suddenly  and  poking  a  finger 
into  my  ribs,  "if  you  haven't  got  on  one  of  my 
waistcoats !" 

"The  one  with  pink  stripes,"  said  I  still 
icily,  "and  deuced  bad  ones  they  all  are.  And 
these  clothes  I  borrowed  from  my  China  boy. 
But  then-—" 


424     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

"I  see,  you  must  have  come  in  a  hurry,  eh?" 

"Yes.  But  come  now,  old  man,  what's  in 
that  letter?  I've  got  one  of  my  own  here,  done 
in  the  same  hand,  hers.  I  am  under  sealed 
orders— until  I  shall  have  met  you,  which  is 
now.  So  I  suppose  some  sort  of  explanation 
is  due  on  both  sides.  We  might  as  well  have 
it  all  out  here,  before  we  join  the  house  party, 
so  as  to  avoid  any  awkwardness." 

"Oh,  nothing  in  my  letter  to  amount  to  any 
thing,"  he  replied.  "Miss  Emory  only  wanted 
to  know  if  I'd  please  have  her  trunks  shipped 
out  here  from  New  Orleans — only  that;  and 
she  asked  me  please  to  bring  her  a  box  of 
marshmallows,  as  hers  were  all  gone.  She's 
polite,  always,  dear  old  Helena — she  says, 
here,  'So  pleasant  is  our  journey  in  every  way, 
and  so  kind  have  you  gentlemen  been,  and  so 
thoughtful  in  providing  every  luxury,  that  I 
can  not  think  of  a  single  thing  I  could  ask  for 
except  some  more  marshmallows.  Jimmy,  the 
young  imp,  my  nephew,  you  know,  has  found 
mine,  though  I  hid  them  under  both  cushions 
in  the  stateroom/  ' 

I  had  my  hat  off,  and  was  wiping  my  fore 
head.  A  sudden  burst  of  glory  seemed  to  me 
to  envelope  all  the  world.  If  there  had  been 
duplicity  anywhere,  I  did  not  care. 


LAND  SHOWS  IN  THE  OFFING      425 

"I  suppose  Jimmy  is  the  one  with  two  guns 
and  a  Jap  sword,  eh?"  asked  Davidson. 

"No,  the  other  one,  God  bless  him!  Is  that 
all  there  was  in  the  letter,  Cal?" 

"Yes.  What's  in  yours?  What's  the  game 
— button,  button,  who's  got  the  girl?  And 
can't  you  open  your  letter  now?" 

"Yes,"  said  I,  and  did  so.  It  contained  just 
two  words  (Helena  afterward  said  she  had  not 
time  to  write  more  while  Auntie  Lucinda  might 
be  in  from  the  other  stateroom).* 

"Well,  what's  it  say,  dash  you!"  demanded 
Cal  Davidson.  "Play  fair  now — I  told,  and  so 
must  you!" 

"I'm  damned  if  I  do,  Cal!"  said  I,  and  put 
it  in  my  pocket.  But  I  shook  hands  with  him 
most  warmly,  none  the  less.  .  .  . 


*(Those  interested  may  find  them  later  in  the  text.) 


CHAPTER  XLI 

IN    WHICH    IS    MUCH    ROMANCE,    AND    SOME    TREAS 
URE,   ALSO   VERY   MUCH    HAPPINESS 

WE  walked  on  slowly  up  the  hill  together, 
my  friend  Calvin  Davidson  and  myself, 
following  the  parti-colored  group  now  passing 
out  of  sight  behind  the  shrubbery.  At  last  we 
paused  and  sat  down  on  one  of  the  many  seats 
that  invited  us.  Around  us,  on  the  great  lawn, 
were  many  tropic  or  half-tropic  plants,  and  the 
native  roses,  still  abloom.  Yonder  stood  the 
old  bronze  sun-dial  that  I  knew  so  well — I 
could  have  read  the  inscription,  /  Mark  Only  Pleas 
ant  Hours;  and  I  knew  its  penciled  shadow 
pointed  to  a  high  and  glorious  noon.  ...  It 
seemed  to  me  that  Heaven  had  never  made 
a  more  perfect  place  or  a  more  perfect  day; 
nor,  that  I  am  sure,  was  ever  in  the  universe 
a  world  more  beautiful  than  this,  more  fit  to 
swing  in  union  with  all  the  harmony  of  the 
spheres.  ...  I  had  fought  so  long,  I  had  been 
so  unhappy,  had  doubted  so  much,  had  grown 
so  sad,  so  misanthropic,  that  I  trust  I  shall  be 
forgiven  at  this  sudden  joy  I  felt  at  hearing 
burst  on  my  ears — albeit  a  chorus  of  Edouard's 

426 


HAPPINESS  427 

mocking-birds  hid  in  the  oaks — all  the  music 
of  the  spheres,  soul-shaking,  a  thing  of  joy 
and  reverence.  ...  So  I  spoke  but  little. 

"But  I  say,  old  man/'  began  Davidson  pres 
ently,  "it's  all  right  for  a  joke,  but  my  word! 
it  was  an  awfully  big  one,  and  an  awfully  risky 
one,  too, — your  stealing  your  own  yacht  from 
me!  I  didn't  think  it  of  you.  You  not  only 
broke  up  my  boat  party — you  see,  Sally  was 
going  on  down  with  us  from  Natchez — Miss 
Emory  said  she'd  be  glad  to  have  her  come, 
and  of  course  she  and  Mrs.  Daniver  made  it 
proper,  all  right — I  say,  you  not  only  busted 
that  all  up,  but  by  not  sending  a  fellow  the 
least  word  of  what  you  were  going  to  do,  you 
got  those  silly  newspapers  crazy,  from  New 
Orleans  to  New  York — why,  you're  famous, 
that  is,  notorious!  But  so  is  Miss  Emory, 
that's  the  worst  of  it.  I  don't  just  fancy  she'll 
just  fancy  some  of  those  pictures,  or  some  of 
those  stories.  Least  you  can  do  now  is  to 
marry  Helena  and  the  old  girl,  too,  right  off!" 

"In  part,  that  is  good  advice,"  said  I.  "I 
wish  I  could  wear  your  clothes,  Cal — but  I 
remember  now  that  Eclouard  and  I  can  wear 
the  same  clothes,  and  have,  many  a  time." 

"But  I  say,  don't  be  so  hoggish.  There's 
other  people  in  the  world  beside  you — you'd  never 


428     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

have  thought  of  making  that  river  cruise,  now 
would  you?" 

"No." 

"Nor  you  couldn't  have  got  Helena  aboard 
the  boat  if  you  had,  now  could  you?" 

"No." 

"Let  alone  the  old  girl,  her  revered  aunt!" 
He  dug  another  thumb  into  his  own  pink 
striped  waistcoat.  "She  loves  you  a  lot,  I  am 
not  of  the  impression!" 

"No,  I  think  she  rather  favored  you!"  I  re 
plied  gravely. 

"No  chance!  And  I  say,  isn't  Sally  a  hum 
dinger?  Just  the  sort  for  me — something  do 
ing  every  minute.  And  a  fellow  can  always 
tell  just  what  she's  thinkin' " 

"I'm  not  right  sure,  Cal,  whether  that's  safe 
to  say  of  any  woman,"  said  I.  "A  ship  on  the 
sea,  or  a  serpent  on  a  rock  has — to  use  your 
own  quaint  manner  of  speech,  my  friend — so 
to  speak,  nothing  on  the  way  of  a  maid  with 
a  man.  But  go  on.  I  do  congratulate  you. 
Do  you  know,  old  man,  I  almost  thought,  once 
— a  good  while  ago — that  you  were  just  a 
little — that  is — epris  of  Helena  you  own  self?" 

"Come   again?     'Apree' — what's   that?" 

"—Gone  on  her." 

"Oh,  not  at  all,  not  at  all — not  in  the  least! 


HAPPINESS  429 

W.hy,  I  can't  see  what  in  the  world — oh,  well 
of  course,  you  know,  she's  fine;  but  what  I 
mean  is,  why — there  was  Sally,  you  know. 
Say,  do  you  know  why  I  wanted  to  get  Sally 
away  on  that  boat? — I  was  afraid  you'd  cut  in 
somewhere,  run  across  her  down  at  Mardi  Gras, 
or  something.  And  I  just  figured,  once  you 
got  a  girl  on  a  boat  that  way,  away  from  all 
the  other  fellows,  you  know,  why  even  a  plain 
chap  like  me  would  have  a  chance,  do  you  see? 
And  I  say  now,  I'll  own  it  up — I  was  right 
down  jealous  of  you,  too!  Wasn't  it  silly?  And 
I  ask  your  pardon.  You're  an  awfully  good 

sort,  Harry,  though  you're  so  d d  serious — 

you  get  too  much  in  earnest,  take  things  too 
hard,  you  know.  Will  you  shake  hands  with 
me,  knowing  what  a  fool  I've  been?  I  say, 
you're  the  best  chap  in  the  world,  old  man — 
if  only  you  were  a  little  more  human  once  in  a 
while." 

He  put  out  his  hand  and  I  met  it.  "Will 
you  shake  hands  with  me,  Cal?"  said  I,  "on 
precisely  those  same  terms  about  having  been 
an  awful  fool?  It's  you  who  are  the  best  chap 
in  the  world.  And  I'll  admit  it — I  was  jealous 
of  you!" 

He  roared  at  this.  "Well,"  said  he,  "as 
George  Cohan  says,  'All's  well  that  ends  well', 


430     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

and  I  guess  we  couldn't  beat  this  for  a  cham 
pionship  year,  now  could  we?  Now  say,  about 
Dingleheimer " 

"Oh,  hang  Dingleheimer,  Cal!"  I  exclaimed. 
"What  I  want  to  know  is,  did  you  ever  talk 
any  to  Miss  Emory  about — well,  about  me,  you 
know? — say  anything  about  my  affairs,  or  any 
thing,  you  know?  I  mean  while  you  were 
there  on  the  boat  together." 

"No.  She  wouldn't  let  me.  Besides,  the 
truth  is,  I  was  so  full  of  Sally  all  the  time,  I 
mostly  talked  about  her.  By  Jove!  that  was  a 
measly  trick  you  played  us,  running  off  with 
the  boat  from  under  my  nose!  But  I  proposed 
to  Sally  in  Natchez  that  night,  and  she  came 
on  down  to  the  city  the  next  day  by  rail — while 
/  ran  down  in  that  dirty  little  scow  you  left 
behind.  And  I  never  tumbled  for  days  that  it 
was  you  had  run  off  with  the  boat — though  I 
found  a  photo  of  Helena  and  your  cigarette 
case  in  the  boat  you  left.  Never  tumbled  till 
that  story  of  the  taxi  driver  came  out.  Then 
I  said,  Well,  of  all  things!  Wonder  if  that 
old  stick  has  really  come  to  life  after  all!' 
And  you  sure  had!  What's  in  your  letter? 
Say,  ain't  a  boat  the  place " 

"But  how  did  you  happen  to  be  here?" 

"Oh,  I've  known  Ed  Manning  years,  in  New 


HAPPINESS  431 

York,  Paris,  all  around.  He  asked  me  to  visit 
him  some  time.  I  wired  and  asked  him  if  I 
could  come  out  for  our  honeymoon — you  know, 

Harry,  I'm  such  a  d d  romantic  son  of  a 

gun,  and  once  before  I  was  out  here  at  Ed's, 

and  those  d d  nightingales,  catbirds,  what 

d'ye  call  'ems " 

"—Mockers." 

"Yes,  mockers,  they  sung  so  sweet,  especial 

in  the  evenings,  you  know — and  I'm  so  d d 

romantic  —  always  was  thataway  —  and  you 
know,  why,  a  fellow  can  be  romantic  on  his 
honeymoon,  can't  he? — he  can  just  cut  loose 

then  an'  be  as  big  a  d n  fool  as  he  likes 

then — an'  get  away  with  it,  what?  Say,  can't 
he?" 

—"Yes." 

—"So   that's   why   I   came." 

— "But — honeymoon?  Are  you  going  to  be 
married?" 

— "Naw!  I  ain't  goin'  to  be  married — I  am 
married!  Day  before  yesterday,  in  New  Or 
leans.  And  I  don't  believe  in  dandlin'  an'  fool- 
in'  around  about  a  little  thing  like  that.  Ain't 
you  married  yet?" 

"No.  Impossible.  No  preacher  on  Cote 
Blanche  Bay  or  on  our  boat.  I've  got  Aunt 
Lucinda  Daniver  along,  to  take  care  of  the 


432      THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

proprieties.  If  I  should  leave  it  to  her,  I  never 
would  be  married." 

"Why?" 

"She  thinks  I'm  broke." 

"Yes,  too  bad  about  that!  I  wish  I  could 
swap  bank  rolls  with  you.  Why  didn't  you  tell 
her  the  truth — and  Helena,  too?  Why  didn't 
you  tell  'em  it  was  your  own  yacht?  Why 
didn't  you  tell  'em  you're  worth  a  few  millions 
and  don't  have  to  work?" 

"I  don't  know — maybe  I'm  like  you,  Cal, 
foolish  about  nightingales  and  things.  But  tell 
me — you  never  did  tell  them  anything  about 
that  Sally  M.  mine  business,  did  you?" 

"No,  I  should  say  not!  Didn't  you  tell  me 
you  didn't  want  it  to  get  out?  It  was  bad 
enough,  the  way  old  Dan  and  your — sainted 
father  handed  it  to  each  other  over  that  mine, 
wasn't  it?  I  know  about  it,  for  I  promoted 
that  mine  myself,  and  the  name'll  prove  that — 
Sally  M.  Byington,  with  the  Byington  left  off! 
There  wasn't  a  blasted  thing  in  it  then.  But 
when  you — like  a  blame  quixotic  fool — after 
she  was  good  for  six  thousand  a  month  velvet, 
and  ore  blocked  out  to  last  a  thousand  years — 
why,  then  you  fool  around  in  Papa's  records, 
and  think  Papa  wasn't  on  the  square  with  old 
Dan.  So  on  the  quiet  you  get  it  all  made  over, 


HAPPINESS  433 

back  to  old  Dan's  daughter;  and  take  a  sneak 
into  the  hazelbrush  when  she  turns  you  down! 
Say,  you  know  what  I'd  a-done?" 

"No." 

— "I'd  a-held  on  to  the  mine  and  told  the  girl 
how  much  it  was  bringin'  in — that's  my  sys 
tem.  Then  I'd  a-got  the  mine  and  the  girl 
both,  maybe!" 

—"Maybe." 

"Well,  that's  the  system  I'd  a-played.  I 
wouldn't  a-took  to  the  tall  grass,  me." 

"On  the  other  hand,  I  played  a  system  in 
vented  by  myself  and  Henri  L'Olonnois." 

"I  never  heard  of  him.  Well,  anyhow,  you 
were  rich  enough  to  afford  to  do  what  you 
liked.  But  as  to  keeping  it  secret,  you  can't 
do  that  any  longer.  Those  newspaper  fellows 
are  the  devil  to  get  hold  of  things.  Since  all 
this  stuff  came  out  about  you  running  away 
with  your  own  boat — I  can  see  now  why  you 
did  it,  and  I'm  glad  you  did — why,  your  whole 
life  history  has  been  printed,  including  all  that 
restitution  business  about  the  Sally  M.  Fel 
lows  came  to  me  and  asked  me  about  you, 
asked  if  I  knew  you.  Said,  yes,  I  knew  you — 
said  you  were  a  romantic  chap,  and  a  good 
business  man,  too — and  the  best  old  scout  in 
the  world— what?" 


434     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

I  had  arisen,  and  stood  in  some  doubt. 
"What's  the  matter — let's  go  on  up  to  the 
house.  I  want  to  see  Sally,"  he  concluded. 

"And  I  want  very  much  to  see  Helena," 
said  I.  "Only,  it's  going  to  be  rather  harder 
now  to  meet  her — and  Mrs.  Daniver." 

"Well,  I  don't  know,"  said  Cal  Davidson; 
"every  fellow  plays  his  own  system.  There's 
something  in  what  you  say  about  women  hav 
ing  a  good  poker  face  so  far  as  tellin'  what  they 
think  about  a  man  is  concerned — yes.  Frin- 
stance,  how  much  did  Helena  know  I  knew,  or 
know  you  knew  or  thought  you  knew — well, 
you  get  me?  But  the  trouble  with  you  is, 
you  ain't  romantic  in  your  temperament  like 
me.  .  .  .  But  if  I  was  you,  I  wouldn't  be  scared 
to  tell  Mrs.  Daniver  I  had  a  dollar  and  a  quar 
ter  or  so  left!  It'll  soften  the  blow  some  to 
her,  maybe.  And  as  for  Helena " 

"And  as  for  Helena,  I  can  look  her  in  the 
face,  and  she  can  me,  now.  And — will  you 
telephone  to  New  Iberia  for  a  minister — at 
once — for  this  evening  train?  And  will  you 
tell  Edouard  to  have  his  man  lay  out  his  best 
evening  clothes  for  me — tell  him  I'll  trade  him 
these  of  my  cook's  for  them — and  a  suit  of 
traveling  clothes?  Because,  oh!  fellow  var- 
let "  (I  paused  here;  we  both  did;  for  a 


HAPPINESS  435 

mocker  just  now  broke  into  an  extraordinary 
burst  of  song,  so  sweet,  so  throbbingly  sweet, 
that  we  could  not  help  but  listen,  both  of  us 
being  lovers)  .  .  . 

"What  were  you  saying,  old  man?"  Cal  Da 
vidson  asked  after  a  while,  musingly,  as  one 
awakening  .  .  .  "Some  bird,  what?" 

.  .  .  "Because,  to-night,"  I  answered,  "I  am 
going  to  marry  my  fair  captive,  yon  heartless 
jade,  Helena.  I've  loved  her  always,  rich  or 
poor,  and  she  loves  me,  rich  or  poor.  And  we 
shall  live  happy  ever  after.  And  may  God  bless 
us,  and  all  true  lovers!" 

"Amen!"  I  heard  some  one  say;  and  have 
often  wondered  whether  it  was  yon  varlet,  the 
mocking-bird,  or  Cal  Davidson  himself,  who 
spoke  ...  I  looked  around  for  Partial.  He 
had  followed  Helena. 


*(The  words  in  Helena's  note,  addressed  to  Henry 
Francis  Drake,  Esquire,  were,  as  I  have  said,  but  two: 
"Yes — Now".  That  was  why  I  was  married  that  evening. 
It  was  curious  about  the  wedding  ring,  for  that  I  would 
not  borrow;  so  an  old  negro  blacksmith  took  a  gold  ring 
Edouard  gave  me,  one  found  years  ago  by  a  Cajun 
treasure  hunter  in  some  one  of  the  few  successful  hunts 
for  the  treasure  of  Jean  Lafitte;  and  into  this,  in  place  of 
the  gem  long  since  missing,  he  clasped  my  pearl,  the  one 
we  got  on  the  river  far  in  the  north;  the  great  pearl  later 
known  as  the  largest  and  most  brilliant  ever  found  in 


436     THE  LADY  AND  THE  PIRATE 

fresh  water.  It  was  I  who  named  it  the  "Belle  Helens". 
So  that  our  ring  pleased  all  but  L'Olonnois  and  Jean  La- 
fitte.  These  two  pirates  had  set  at  work  that  very  after 
noon,  with  Tolyte  (by  Edouard's  consent)  and  dug  be 
hind  the  smoke-house.  Wonderful  enough,  they  did  find 
old  bricks,  enclosing  a  sort  of  hollow  cavity,  bricks  of  an 
ancient  day;  and  though  they  got  nothing  else  (Tolyte 
said  he  knew  who  had  beaten  them  to  this  treasure — it 
was  Achilles  Dufrayne  of  Calcasieu,  curse  him!)  they 
both  explained  how  easy  it  would  be  to  deceive  the  fair 
captive  into  thinking  we  really  had  found  the  ring's  set 
ting  as  well  as  the  ring  itself,  in  a  pirate  treasure-box. 
I  would  not  do  that,  on  the  ground  that  already  I  had 
deceived  the  fair  captive  quite  enough.  .  .  .  But,  though 
yon  varlet,  my  friend  dear  old  Cal  Davidson,  spoke  rather 
freely  about  his  honeymoon,  and  all  that,  I  can  not  do  so 
of  mine  with  Helena.  ...  I  did  not  know  that  I  could 
again  be  so  happy.  Often  I  have  wished  I  were  a  ro 
mantic  man,  like  dear  old  Cal.  ...  I  fear  my  book  on 
the  mosquitoes  of  North  America  never  will  be  written 
now.— H.  F.  D.) 


THE  END 


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JAN  18  1941 


LD  21-100m-7,'39(402s) 


32973 


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THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


